This meal didn’t use any outside recipes and was solely crafted off of memory.
Once you’ve made a Pie a couple times it becomes a sort of cook’s muscle memory. A good grasp of dough for the shell and lid are all you need. The filling can vary with the occasion.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 Cups (300 g) All-purpose Flour
- 1 Cup (227 g) Cold Unsalted Butter ( or shortening)
- 1/3 to 1/2 a Cup (80-120 g) of Ice-Cold Water
- 1 tsp (5 g) Salt
- 1 tbsp (12.5 g) Sugar
Get your pie dough ready by tossing together some chilled flour, salt, and sugar. Then, chop in some cold, unsalted butter until you have little pea-sized pieces. Gradually mix in ice-cold water, just enough to bring the dough together.
Divide it into two discs, wrap ’em up tight, and stick them in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours so the gluten can chill out and the butter gets nice and firm.
Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and dough.
Start rolling from the center outwards, giving the dough a little twist after each roll to keep it nice and round and avoid sticking.
If you’re using a regular 9-inch pie dish, roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick and aim for a 12-inch diameter.
Vegetable Filling (Meat optional)
Sauté some chopped onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until they’re nice and soft.
Toss in sliced mushrooms and garlic, and let those brown up. Mix in some flour and tomato paste to get a nice paste going.
Pour in vegetable broth and add in the cooked lentils or beans for a protein kick.
Let it simmer until it thickens up, then stir in some frozen peas.
Tip: If you’re having trouble centering the large sheet of pie dough, a good trick my grandmother used, is to fold the rolled out dough in half and then a quarter, then place the dough in your dish and unfold it in place. This can be done with the top and bottom sheets of dough.
The oven should be set to 425°F (218 C). Spread your precooked meat or vegetable filling into the pie shell. Next we’ll put the second sheet of dough on top as a lid.
The lid should be a bit oversized, that way, you can tuck the edge under the shell to hold the top in place while you bake. Use a fork to crimp the rim and poke several holes in the top of the lid.
Because our filling is already cooked, the primary goal of baking is to heat the dish through and achieve a beautifully browned, textured top.
