Picture this: It’s the semi-annual Co-op Marketing Department “Brainstorming and Taste-Testing Regrettable Snack Choices” meeting. This is usually a blur of half-eaten kale chips and well-meaning but ultimately doomed ideas for artisanal ice cream with questionable flavorings. But not today friends. Oh no, not today.
Suddenly, he spoke. Let’s call him “Mike,” because that’s his name. Mike, a demo coordinator and foodie whose enthusiasm for seafood is matched only by his inability to spell “quinoa” correctly, blurted out, “What if we put shrimp … in a pot pie?”
Shrimp Pot Pie—like regular pot pie, only shrimpier.
A hush fell over the room. You could hear a tumbleweed roll by (if we were in an old Hollywood Western instead of conference room with fluorescent lighting). Someone coughed. Someone else subtly checked if the emergency exit was clear. Because, let’s be honest, “shrimp pot pie” sounds like something you’d order on a dare after too many fermented kombuchas. It sounds like the culinary equivalent of wearing socks with sandals—conceptually unsound, deeply unsettling to some, yet somehow it occasionally works.
We, being the daring innovators that we are (and also because Mike wouldn’t shut up about it), decided to give it a whirl. The first batch emerged from the oven, golden-brown and suspiciously innocent-looking. We approached it like bomb disposal experts, each of us taking a tiny, almost imperceptible sniff, bracing ourselves for the inevitable “eau de fish market in August” aroma.
It never came.
Instead, a rich, comforting, savory scent wafted up. Hesitantly, we cut into it. Inside, pink shrimp nestled in a creamy, herb-infused sauce, all beneath that flaky crust. It was like a regular pot pie had gone on a tropical vacation, gotten a little sun-kissed, and come back with a surprisingly delightful new personality.
So, if you’re feeling adventurous, or just want to tell your friends you ate pot pie with a crustacean in it, come on down! Sure, our new Shrimp Pot Pie might sound weird, and we know it. But in the best possible way. It’s for everyone (well, less those of you with shellfish allergies)—the adventurous eaters, the pot pie purists, and the people who just want to try something that will make them say, “Wow, I did not expect that!”
Give it a try and let us know what you think. Also taking suggestions if you feel like you have a name more suitable for this twist on a flaky fall comfort classic!
Ken Davis is the Co-op’s senior copywriter.
Excellent review! Very well written. And timely. I did question the existence of a ‘shrimp pot pie’ when I saw it among the prepared food offerings. But now I definitely want to try it. Thank you for writing!
Thanks Anne! Give it a try and let us know what you think!