Buttery Crab Pot Pies

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 0.3 cup bottled clam juice 
• 0.5 pound crab meat drained well
• 0.3 cup medium-dry sherry 
• 1  eggs with 1 teaspoon water, to brush pastry beaten
• 2 tablespoons flour for dusting all-purpose plus more
• 1.5 cups milk 
• 1 cup mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup peas frozen
• 2 sheets puff pastry frozen thawed
• 5 servings salt and cracked pepper black
• 1 small onion yellow chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• pot
• ramekin

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle position.
2. In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
3. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
6. Add the milk, clam juice, and sherry. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the crabmeat and peas.
8. Remove from the heat and transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
9. Meanwhile, unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface.
10. Place 4 (8-ounce) ovenproof bowls or large ramekins rim down on the pastry and cut out 4 circles a bit larger than the bowls (you may need to roll the pastry out a bit to accommodate all the bowls).
11. Brush the circles with the egg wash. Set the egg wash aside.
12. When the crab filling has cooled, divide it among the 4 bowls.
13. Brush the rims of the bowls with the egg wash, lay a pastry circle over each, and seal the edges.
14. Cut steam vents in the pastry and brush with the egg mixture.
15. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until the pastry is puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
16. Serve hot.