Savory pies — pies that are salty or spicy, not sweet, a meal in themselves — are a food of the moment. You’ll find them in lunch wagons such as Camille on Wheels, at farmers market booths such as Sweet Revenge, in retro restaurants such as Leoda’s on Maui and many local-style bakeries (South Pacific islanders make corned beef pie).
All you need is good crust and a sturdy filling, which can be any stew, stir-fry, hash or white-sauce base mixture, so long as it’s thick.
Following is a flaky, dependable pie crust recipe based on one developed by baking expert Carole Walter (carolewalter.com), whose 1998 "Great Pies & Tarts" is a James Beard Award cookbook winner and considered a classic.
Here we’ll try two fillings, both quick to throw together.
If you want to make a healthier version:
» Use whole wheat pastry flour.
» Use a frozen vegetable margarine, such as Earth Balance Natural Shortening (find it at Whole Foods).
» Pack the filling with vegetables and use soft tofu with a little soy or nut milk and a teaspoon or two of an appropriate oil as a binder; lay on the fresh herbs or spices (if using spices, sauté briefly in oil first, to release flavors).
SAVORY SHORT CRUST
1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) solidly chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) frozen vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
In zippered plastic bag, combine flour and baking powder and place in freezer 30 minutes or in refrigerator overnight.
Add half of butter and half of shortening to bag and toss to coat with flour. Transfer mixture to bowl of food processor fitted with the conventional blade. Pulse four times for 1 second each and then for 3 to 4 seconds continuously. Add remaining butter and shortening and pulse again four times. Process until mixture has the look of coarse meal with a few pea-size bits of butter or shortening in it, 3 to 4 seconds.
| PIE-MAKERS’ TIPS
>> If you’re using the dough just to cover the top of a pie, make a parchment paper pattern to fit the container. Or cut shapes with cookie cutters; a small round or fluted one for a ramekin, for example.
>> To give the pie a gentle glow, whisk an egg yolk with 2 tablespoons warm water. Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash over the raw pie top just before placing it in the oven. Paint lightly, allowing a minute to pass before giving it a second coat.
>> For easy cleanup, use masking tape to tape a large piece of kitchen parchment to your countertop. I use a Silpat rectangle that’s imprinted with different size circles, for measuring size of dough, and sticky enough to stay where you lay it on the counter.
>> To move the dough, roll it lightly around the rolling pin and transfer to pie pan. Or use one of the most useful tools in my kitchen, a handled scraper with rounded edges; they come in metal or plastic.
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Transfer into large bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ice water around perimeter of bowl and use fork to nudge it toward the center, working around the bowl. Repeat a second and third time.
Test the dough, which will be beginning to clump, by pressing a small handful of clusters together and breaking them apart. They should feel a little moist and bind together but NOT sticky or soft. Add a fourth tablespoon of water only if necessary.
Dust a piece of plastic wrap with flour. Gather and press dough into a 4- to 5-inch disc and place on wrap. Gather wrap tightly around dough; refrigerate 1 hour or up to 3 to 4 days (will freeze up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator 12 hours).
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick and to the desired size (13 inches for a 9-inch pie). Don’t over-handle and don’t flour the top; flour the roller and keep it smooth, scraping off any bits that stick. Pie tops can also be baked by themselves on a cookie sheet (watch carefully) and popped on top a hot mixture at the last minute.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 8 servings of crust only): 220 calories, 16 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, no sugar, 2 g protein
» Chicken pot pie: Poach 2 chicken breasts; cool and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat; add 1 cup of diced vegetables (onions, carrots, green beans, fennel). Cook lightly until onions are wilted and transparent. Flavor with a half-teaspoon of dried herbs (such as herbes de Provence or Kaiulani Spices Hawaiian Herb Garden).
Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour (it will be lumpy). Gradually whisk in 1-1/2 cups room-temperature milk. Add chicken; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, continuing to stir. Add frozen vegetables (peas or corn) or leafy vegetables (finely chopped spinach or baby kale) at the end, if desired.
Fill pie or pies (makes enough for 1 standard-size pie, a small casserole dish or about 6 ramekins). Cover with crust as desired and bake at 400 degrees 20 to 30 minutes (depends on size of pie), until filling bubbles and pie is golden.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 8 servings; not including frozen vegetables or leafy vegetable): 330 calories, 22 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 11 g protein
» Italian meatloaf pie: Process 1 piece firm, good-quality country-style bread into crumbs and place in a saucepan with 1/3 cup milk, mashing and bringing milk to a boil.
In a large bowl, toss together milk mush, 1 pound mixed ground beef and ground pork (unseasoned), 1 tablespoon finely minced onion, 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 egg, a pinch of nutmeg, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste.
Mix well and use this mixture to fill a pie or pies (makes enough for 1 standard-size pie, small casserole dish or about 6 ramekins). Cover with crust as desired and bake at 425 degrees about 20 to 30 minutes (depends on size of pie), until filling bubbles and pie is golden brown.
Tip: Make meatball pie by shaping meat into meatballs, browning and draining them and placing them in just enough bottled spaghetti sauce to bind.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 8 servings; not including salt to taste): 400 calories, 30 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 15 g protein
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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
