Shrimp Gruyère Pie

Cooking Irish can also be found at Pinterest and PETITCHEF.

 



We had a slice of this pie as an appetizer at a chic continental restaurant in Cairo. When one visits Cairo, one will visit the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, and its famous bazaar. What struck me was the city continued to be built right up to these massive structures. One would never guess that because pictures of the pyramids are taken looking at them from the city so the background is desert and seeming isolation with the aura of the mystic and ancient, but it actually is so tacky with hawkers and food stands everywhere. I have to admit it was quite disappointing. It just ruined the atmosphere. 

My son Eli and daughter Erin at the pyramid in Giza in July 1985

Erin with her new friend

 

Eli and Erin waiting for me to climb up to enter the pyramid

 

Eli at the entrance to the Egyptian Museum

The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Khufu's Pyramid, Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in Giza bordering what is now Cairo, and is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that survives substantially intact.  It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian King Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC.  The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years.  Originally, the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface, and what is seen today is the underlying core structure.  Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base.  There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques.  Most accepted theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid.  The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished.  The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure.  The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu, three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

Warning: be prepared to almost crawl to enter the innermost chambers open to the public.  You go in single-file, and it is oppressively hot, and the air is stagnant and smells of strong stale urine.  My daughter Erin was overcome and had to be sent back to the hotel in a cab with an elderly British woman.  Plus be careful of Egyptian men trying to grope you in the darkened tunnels--the seedier side of touring foreign lands.  The sound and light show at the pyramid was wonderful though.  Since we were the only people in our group who had paid for an American Express tour, we went with our Australian guide the last night we were in Cairo, and it was a beautiful sight.

The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue of a reclining lion with a human head that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile.  It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 241 ft. long, 20 ft. wide, and 65 ft. high.  It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built in the third millenium BC.  The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues, but basic facts about it, such as who was the model for the face, when it was built, and by whom, are still debated. 

Since I have been interested in anything Egyptian since a young child, I had been to the King Tut exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum in New York in the late 70s, but nothing prepares one for the The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.  Commonly known as the Egyptian Museum, it is home to the most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world.  It has 120,000 items with a representative amount on display and the remainder in storerooms.

The museum's Royal Mummy Room, containing 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times, was closed on the orders of President Anwar Sadat in 1981.  It was reopened, with a slightly curtailed display of  New Kingdom kings and queens in 1985.  Today, there are about 9 mummies displayed.  One of them is the newly found queen Hatshepsut.

There are two main floors of the museum: the ground floor and the first floor.  On the ground floor visitors will find an extensive collection of papyrus and coins used in the Ancient World.  The numerous pieces of papyrus are generally small fragments, due to their decay over the past two millennia. Several languages are found on these pieces, including Greek, Latin, Arabic, and the Ancient Egyptian writing language of hieroglyphs.  The coins found on this floor are made of many different elements, including gold, silver, and bronze.  The coins are not only Egyptian, but also Greek, Roman, and Islamic, which has helped historians research the history of Ancient Egyptian trade.  Also on the ground floor are artifacts from the New Kingdom, the time period between 1550 and 1070 BC.  These artifacts are generally larger than items created in earlier centuries.  They include statues, tables, and coffins.  If visitors follow these displays in chronological order, they will end up on the first floor, which contains artifacts from the final two dynasties of Ancient Egypt.  Some artifacts in this area include items from the tombs of the Pharaohs Tuhtmoisis III, Tuhtmosis IV, Amenophis II, Hatshepsut, and Maherpen, and also many artifacts taken from the legendary Valley of the Kings.　

The majority of the world has come to know the tomb of King Tutankhamun better than any royal tombs because even though he is an obscure, unimportant king historically, unlike the others, his tomb was found mostly intact.  Inside the tomb is a large collection of artifacts used throughout the King’s life.  These artifacts range from a decorated chest, which was most likely used as a closet or suitcase, to ivory and gold bracelets, necklaces, and other decorative jewelry, to alabaster vases and flasks.  The tomb is also home to many instruments and weapons used by the King.  Although the tomb holds over 3,500 artifacts, it should be noted that his tomb was not found completely intact.  In fact, there have been at least two robberies of the tomb, perhaps soon after Tutankhamun's burial.  The most well known artifact in King Tutankhamun’s tomb is the famous Gold Mask, which rests over the bandages that wrap around the King’s face.  The mask weighs in at 24.5 pounds of solid gold, and is believed to represent what the King’s face really looked like.  Many features of the mask the eyes, nose, lips and chin are all represented very well.
 
The remains of many famous Pharaohs are stored in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.  One of these is Pharaoh Ramses III, who was an extremely skilled warrior.  His army was very impressive, as it has been duplicated and copied all over the world.  For many of the mummified pharaohs, it has been very difficult to determine when they were born.  Also, historians can only estimate a time when they reigned over Egypt.  For Amenhotip IV, historians have estimated that he reigned around 1372 B.C.   Before he even became pharaoh, however, he was already married to Nefertiti, a radiant beauty.  But, when Amenhotep IV did become pharaoh, he destroyed the religion of Amun.  He did this because he wanted start his own new religion of Aten, the disc which sent out rays ending in hands. 

One of the pleasures of Cairo is to get lost in the bazaars (souqs) and take in the sights, smells, and sounds of life in all its chaos and glory.  Cairo is a large, bustling, dirty city.  You can shop for carpets, camels, shoes, books, and veils or whatever else takes your fancy.  Leave your valuables behind in your hotel and immerse yourself in a world that has changed little in hundreds of years. 

For souvenirs most tourists head to Khan Al-Khalili, one of the world's oldest bazaars.  If you like haggling, this is the place for you.  To get away from the souvenir shops, head west and you will have a more authentic souq experience.  The main goods sold are gold, silver, copper, perfume, spices, and cloth.  I bought some beautiful Egyptian jewelry, traditional Egyptian clothing, purses, and papyrus drawings which I still have to this day.

Now to that yummy pie.  I have come very close to solving the puzzle of this delicious dish.  It is a combination of a recipe in The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook and a recipe found in my mother's old recipe box.

SHRIMP GRUYÈRE PIE  [Serves 4 as an entrée or 8 as an appetizer]

Ingredients for Crust:

1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of flour, sifted [Do not skip the sifting in this recipe]

Ingredients for Filling:

1 ½ lbs. of medium fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked
½ cup of sweet red pepper, minced
¼ cup of white onion, minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
3 tbsp. of butter, melted
2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
½ cup of Hellman’s® mayonnaise
4 large eggs
1/3 cup of milk
1 ¼ cups of Gruyère or Swiss cheese, shredded
1 tsp. of ground white pepper

Preparation of Crust:

Cream the butter and the cheese together.  Add the flour and blend well.  Chill for at least one hour.  Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface and line a 10-inch pie pan.  Preheat oven to 350° and bake for 10 minutes.  [If you use this crust for dessert cream pies, cook at 450° for 10 minutes.]

Preparation of Filling:

Chop the cooked shrimp into bite-sized pieces.  In a sauté pan cook the red pepper, white onion, and garlic in the melted butter over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Be sure to not brown the garlic as it will turn bitter.  Add the chopped shrimp and heat thoroughly.  Drain well if needed.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise on high speed until creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Gradually, add the milk beating at slow speed until just blended.  Stir in the shrimp/vegetable mixture, the cheese, and white pepper.

Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake in a preheated 300° oven for one hour and twenty minutes or until set.  Turn off the oven, partially open the oven door, and leave the pie in the oven until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh chive or parsley.  Invite the Sun God Ra or the Goddess Isis for lunch!!