Stuffed Seafood Bread Bowl with Creamy Dill Sauce
Seafood Bread Bowl
Hollowed sourdough bread bowl filled with succulent shrimp, scallops, and crab in a luxurious creamy dill sauce. An impressive yet surprisingly easy dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
This Stuffed Seafood Bread Bowl is the kind of dish that looks like you've spent all day in the kitchen, but honestly, it comes together in under an hour. The magic happens when you toast a beautiful crusty sourdough round, hollow it out, and fill it with an absolutely divine mixture of tender shrimp, sweet scallops, and lump crab meat all swimming in a silky dill cream sauce. It's elegant, it's impressive, and most importantly, it tastes absolutely incredible.
What I love most about this recipe is its versatility and showstopping presentation. You can easily swap in white fish or lobster if you prefer, and the bread bowl itself becomes part of the meal — guests love tearing off pieces and soaking them in that creamy sauce. Whether you're hosting a dinner party or treating yourself to something special, this dish delivers restaurant-quality results with home-cook simplicity.
Ingredients
- Round sourdough loaf:1 piece
- Unsalted butter:4 tbsp
- Shallots, minced:2 tbsp
- Garlic cloves, minced:2 clove
- All-purpose flour:3 tbsp
- Whole milk:1.5 cup
- Dry white wine:½ cup
- Large shrimp, peeled and deveined:½ lb
- Scallops:½ lb
- Lump crab meat:6 oz
- Fresh dill, chopped:3 tbsp
- Lemon juice:2 tbsp
- Dijon mustard:1 tsp
- Salt and black pepper:to taste piece
- Olive oil:2 tbsp
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut the top quarter off the sourdough loaf and carefully hollow out the inside, leaving a ½-inch thick shell. Brush the inside and outside with olive oil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted.
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Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and garlic, stirring for about 1 minute until fragrant.
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Sprinkle flour over the shallots and garlic, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to create a roux. This prevents lumps in your sauce.
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Slowly pour in the milk and white wine, whisking continuously to break up any lumps. Continue cooking and stirring for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
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Add the shrimp and scallops to the sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the shrimp are just cooked through and the scallops are opaque. Be gentle — you don't want to overcook the seafood.
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Gently fold in the crab meat, fresh dill, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let everything warm through for about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
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Carefully pour the creamy seafood mixture into your toasted bread bowl. You can sprinkle a bit more fresh dill on top for garnish, and serve immediately with the bread bowl surrounded by any remaining crusty pieces for dipping.
Tips & Notes
- Don't hollow out the bread bowl too aggressively — you want it sturdy enough to hold the filling without falling apart.
- Pat your shrimp and scallops dry with paper towels before cooking. This helps them brown nicely and cook evenly.
- If your sauce seems too thick, thin it with a splash of milk. If it's too thin, let it simmer for another minute or two.
- You can prepare the bread bowl and make the seafood filling separately up to 2 hours ahead, then combine and reheat gently just before serving.
