Baked Seafood Au Gratin

This is my Mom's favorite seafood recipe, which our guests during dinner specifically request to be served.











1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup butter, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 pound fresh crabmeat
4 cups water
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound small scallops
1/2 pound flounder fillets
3 cups milk
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a heavy skillet, saute the onion and the pepper in 1/2 cup of butter and cook until tender. Mix in 1/2 cup of the flour, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes while stirring frequently. Stir in crabmeat, then remove from heat and set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, bring the water to a boil, and then add the shrimp, scallops, and flounder, and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and set the seafood aside.

In a heavy saucepan, melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter over low heat and then stir in remaining 1/2 cup flour. Cook and stir constantly for 1 minute, and then gradually add the milk plus the 1 cup reserved cooking liquid. Raise heat to medium; cook, while stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Mix in the shredded Worcestershire sauce, Cheddar cheese, vinegar, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Then stir in cooked seafood.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and lightly grease one 9 by 13 inch baking dish and press crabmeat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon the seafood mixture over the crabmeat crust, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until they are lightly browned. After cooking, you can immediately make up to 8 servings.