From the menu of: Blue Willow Inn Restaurant

A. Roberts is right; the Blue Willow Inn Restaurant’s Seafood au Gratin makes only occasional appearances on the menu, although we understand it’s been available a few times recently. Patsy Joiner, assistant to the Van Dykes, owners of the restaurant, worked with general manager and head chef Dominick Stella to provide this recipe so our readers can recreate this dish at home.

The recipe is a combination of flounder, crab and seafood in a mild creamy cheese sauce. If you wish, substitute imitation crab meat for the lump crab called for here. This dish can be served over rice or toast points.

Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.

Blue Willow Inn Restaurant’s Seafood au Gratin

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Serves: 8

2 cups milk, divided

1/2 cup Cheez Whiz

1/2 cup grated cheddar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1/2 pound flounder fillet

1 1/2 cups cooked and peeled shrimp (about 3/4 pound)

1 (8-ounce) can lump crabmeat

In a heavy medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups milk over low heat. Add Cheez Whiz, cheddar, salt and pepper and slowly heat through until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

While mixture is simmering, in a small bowl, combine flour with remaining 1/2 cup milk and whisk until smooth. After cheese has melted, whisk flour and milk into cheese mixture and continue to simmer until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Once mixture has thickened, simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

While mixture is simmering, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

In a medium non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat and saute flounder until fish is cooked through, about 4 minutes total, turning once. Do not brown fillet. Remove from skillet, break fish into pieces and scatter on bottom of prepared casserole.

In a medium bowl, combine shrimp and crab. Scatter on top of flounder. When cheese sauce is ready, pour over seafood, making sure all seafood is covered. Bake 20 minutes or until the sauce begins to brown. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 247 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 28 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 11 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 132 milligrams cholesterol, 756 milligrams sodium.