Chefs’ recipes for savory pies
Few dishes are more comforting than the classic potpie, with its piping-hot interior and perfect marriage of meat and pastry. Today, updated renditions are appearing on area restaurant menus with gourmet fillings like rabbit, duck, steak and stout.
Savory pies, regardless of shape or contents, are also great for entertaining; they’re a rustic addition to any winter party’s spread and make an exquisite main course when paired with a bright, crisp salad.
Four local chefs agree, and here they share their favorite recipes, along with some reasons why they love them.
Sweet Lucy’s Pies
Reata bartender and passionate baker Lindsey Lawing made rounds last summer at local farmers markets selling her sweet and savory pies after launching Sweet Lucy’s Pies, named for her baby daughter. Rustic varieties included summer squash, tomato and corn pudding. She says butternut squash and sage is a classic combination that reminds her of Christmas: “It gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling.”
In this recipe, fresh sage pan-fried in butter adds a velvety, aromatic finish to the pie, while a pairing of cranberry-tinged kale salad makes for a Christmas dinner-worthy meal.
Stir Crazy Baked Goods
“We’re not big meat-eaters at my house,” says Robbie Werner, owner of Near Southside’s Stir Crazy Baked Goods. “Wintertime is all about comfort food, and this is just as hearty as a pie with meat.”
Werner uses a hefty mix of winter vegetables (5 cups of any varieties will work), including Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes instead of the traditional potpie medley of potatoes, carrots and peas.
“Those are lighter, and we wanted to do something seasonal and delicious,” she says. “And because a potpie is very old school, the buttermilk dressing is a standout to pair it with because it’s so classic.”
Potager Cafe
“Whenever the weather turns cold ... I always think of tourtière, a classic French-Canadian meat pie,” says Cynthia Chippendale, owner of downtown Arlington’s farm-to-market focused Potager Cafe, where guests are asked to pay what they feel each meal is worth.
“I have wonderful memories of coming in, dusting the snow off my coat and tucking in to a warm slice accompanied by a delicious apple chutney and side salad — and a glass of red wine, of course.”
Her rendition of the dish is stuffed with ground pork and beef and grated potatoes along with herbs and spices like cloves and savory. Chippendale insists that if you don’t have a spice or two on the list, “don’t worry about it; it will still be delicious.”
Bird Café
With an unlikely melding of hard-boiled eggs, ham and horseradish pickles, David McMillan’s British-inspired ploughman’s pie surprises with satisfying substance and considerable heft. (This is one the guys will especially love.)
“It’s very stout, very sturdy, “ he says of the calzone-shaped hand pie. “We’re a pub, in essence, so this is pub food essentially designed to help soak up alcohol.”
Pair with McMillan’s tart green salad dressed with tarragon balsamic vinaigrette, and reach for a bulky beer to wash it all down.
Roasted butternut squash pie with caramelized onions and brown butter fried sage and kale salad
Roasted butternut squash pie
Serves 6
4-5 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed
1 large butternut squash, cut in half, deseeded
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter, plus 1 stick for brown butter sage
1 cup reduced milk or canned evaporated milk
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 pie crust dough (recipe follows)
6-7 sage leaves, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil onto a cookie sheet and place butternut squash on it, halved sides down. Drizzle again with more olive oil. Roast about 20-30 minutes until the squash has softened.
2. Saute the onion in 3 tablespoons butter until caramelized.
3. Scoop out the roasted butternut squash and combine with milk, eggs, ginger, nutmeg, ground sage, salt and pepper in bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the filling to the prepared pie crust dough and top with the caramelized onions. Bake at 350 degrees 30-45 minutes.
4. Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan with chopped sage until fragrant and brown. Slice the pie when it has cooled, slightly drizzle with brown butter fried sage and serve.
Pie crust dough
Makes 2
2 1/2 cups chilled flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup shortening
6 tablespoons cold butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the shortening and chilled butter. Mix with a pastry blender until both are incorporated into the flour and there are pea-sized chunks of butter and shortening. Be careful not to over-mix or the dough will be tough.
2. Combine ice water with apple cider vinegar and slowly add 1 tablespoon at a time to the dough until a large ball is formed. Cut in half, wrap, and place dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. When the dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface and place in a pie pan. Leave in the freezer until you are ready to add the filling.
Kale salad
Serves 4
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups kale, lightly chopped
1/2 cup pecans, lightly chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Drizzled is over kale and top with pecans and dried cranberries.
— 817-727-6009
Veggie potpie with romaine wedge salad and buttermilk dressing
Veggie potpie
Serves 8
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts
1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, unpeeled but scrubbed clean
Olive oil, as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, diced
8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon
2 cups water
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 unbaked pie crusts, for top and bottom of potpie (available at Stir Crazy Baked Goods)
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Chop vegetables into 1-inch chunks and spread on baking pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and add onion and fresh thyme. Toss together and roast for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
3. Over medium heat in a saucepan, dissolve vegetable bouillon in water.
4. In separate pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk together until combined. While whisking constantly, gradually pour in heated bouillon mixture, and then buttermilk. Add salt and pepper and continue to stir until thickened and a bit browned. Fold roasted vegetables into sauce. Set aside.
5. Roll out the bottom crust and place in a pie pan. Spoon the vegetable mixture onto the crust, and roll out the top crust to lie on top of vegetables. Pinch and flute crusts together and pierce top crust for ventilation.6. Bake 35-40 minutes, until crust is golden. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
Romaine wedge salad
Serves 4
1 head romaine lettuce, quartered and cores removed
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Divide pecans, berries and Parmesan across each romaine quarter and drizzle with buttermilk dressing (recipe follows).
Buttermilk dressing
Makes 16 ounces
1 cup whole plain yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh chives
2 teaspoons fresh dill
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Prepare at least a day in advance to thicken, and keep refrigerated.
— 106 E. Daggett Ave., Fort Worth, 682-710-2253, www.stircrazybakedgoods.com.
French-Canadian tourtière with apple chutney and organic greens salad with honey mustard vinaigrette
French-Canadian tourtière
Serves 6-8
Drizzle of olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
2 medium-sized potatoes, unpeeled and grated
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch dried rosemary
Pinch dried thyme
Pinch dried savory
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch grated nutmeg
1/2 cup water
Basic pastry dough (recipe follows)
1 egg, beaten
Apple chutney (recipe follows)
1. Drizzle olive oil into a Dutch oven or heavy pot, add onion and cook gently over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking until it just starts to sweat. Remove mixture from pot and add the meats, cooking over medium heat until nicely browned. Place the onion and garlic back into the pot and add potatoes, salt, herbs, spices and water. Stir to blend, cover and let simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place a metal baking sheet inside.
3. Place prepared basic pastry dough discs onto well-floured rolling surface and dust the tops with a good sprinkle of flour. Starting with the larger disc, begin pressing gently, but firmly, with a rolling pin. Lift disc gently, rotate a quarter-turn and continue pressing, using plenty of flour under dough. Avoid stretching dough and continue rolling and turning until it is round and just slightly larger than the pie dish. Lay rolling pin in the middle of the dough and drape sides over it to easily lift and place in a pie dish. Allow excess dough to hang over pie dish edges and fill with cooled tourtière filling. Roll smaller dough disc using the same method and place on top of filling. Slice off excess dough and pinch edges together with bottom crust.
4. Brush the top of pie with beaten egg. If desired, cut fun shapes out of excess dough, lay them attractively on top of pie and brush with egg wash. Cut slits into pie to serve as steam vents. Place pie on preheated metal baking pan (this will keep the bottom crust from becoming soggy) and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with apple chutney (recipe follows).
Basic pastry dough
Makes enough for 1 tourtière
3 cups organic flour
Pinch salt
1/2 cup organic shortening or lard, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (chef Cynthia Chippendale advises against using Crisco brand shortening)
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Approximately 1 cup ice water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1. Place flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor and whirl to blend. Toss in the shortening and butter and roll the cubes around in the flour to coat them a bit. Pulse approximately five times to achieve large hunks of flour and fat.
2. Pour ice water and vinegar into processor’s mixing bowl all at once and pulse approximately seven times more. Transfer pastry dough into a glass or metal mixing bowl and squeeze a handful of it to see if it holds together. If not, add another tablespoon or two of ice water and toss lightly to distribute. Don’t overwork the dough. (“You want big hunks of fat in there,” Chippendale says.)
3. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly smaller than the other. The larger piece will be the bottom crust. Pat the dough pieces into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator.
Apple chutney
Makes 2 pounds
2 pounds cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 pound onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bell peppers (one red and one green, preferably), seeds and stems removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 pints vinegar, preferably red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
6 peppercorns
6 allspice berries
2 ounces bruised fresh ginger root (smash gently with a hammer to achieve bruises)
1 pound brown sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1. Place apples, onions, garlic and bell peppers into a heavy pot. Add vinegar, bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
2. Place coriander seeds, peppercorns, allspice berries and ginger into a small piece of muslin or cheesecloth and tie it closed. Add to the pot along with brown sugar and salt. Continue to simmer slowly until thick (this should take an hour or more). Remove bag of spices. To store, spoon chutney into hot, sterilized jars and seal.
Organic greens salad with Potager’s honey mustard vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
16 ounces organic mixed greens
1 cup Potager’s honey mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Divide greens across six to eight salad plates and drizzle with vinaigrette.
Potager’s honey mustard vinaigrette
Makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup vinegar, any variety except distilled
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
1 1/2 cups pure olive oil
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a bowl. Using a hand mixer or whisk, blend ingredients and then add the olive oil very slowly to avoid breaking the emulsion. Adjust seasonings to taste.
— 315 S. Mesquite St., Arlington, 817-861-2292, www.potagercafe.com
Ploughman’s pie
Serves 1
1 unbaked pie crust, homemade or store-bought
2 slices good-quality ham
1 hard-boiled egg, quartered
3 sweet horseradish pickle slices
1 small fingerling potato, cooked and sliced into 1/3-inch pieces
2 ounces good-quality sharp cheddar, roughly chopped, plus a little more grated for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1. Roll out dough and loosen it on cutting board or counter. Lay ham slices on dough and place egg, pickles, potato and cheese on top. Season well with salt and pepper, roll up filling within ham, and center ham roll in the middle of pie dough.
2. Beat egg and milk together. Paint a circle of the egg wash around the ham roll. Fold pie dough over filling, creating a half-moon shape. Press down edges to seal crust. Trim off excess crust and crimp edges.
3. Paint top of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with grated cheddar and a bit of cayenne. Bake at 400 degrees until golden and puffed.
Green salad with tarragon balsamic vinaigrette
Serves 2
4 ounces romaine lettuce, chopped
2 ounces arugula
2 ounces broccoli florets, blanched
1 tablespoon pistachios
1 ounce sunflower sprouts
1-2 ounces Tarragon Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ounce good-quality feta, for garnish
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds, fried and salted, for garnish
In a bowl, toss all ingredients, except feta and sunflower seeds, together to coat well. Adjust seasoning if needed. Garnish with feta and sunflower seeds.
Tarragon balsamic vinaigrette
Makes about 4 ounces
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
2 ounces balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place tarragon, vinegar and garlic in a blender and puree. Reduce blender speed and slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
— 155 E. Fourth St., Fort Worth, 817-332-2473, http://birdinthe.net.
This story was originally published January 6, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Chefs’ recipes for savory pies."