ragoût de boeuf en croûte.

Despite the fancy title, all this is is steak and ale pie. Heck, it isn't even French. If anything, this probably resembles more the Brits than the French. And what's more British that meat pies?

Since I've been eating a lot of fish lately, I had a primal urging for some red meat. I considered making a steak of some sort, but unfortunately, all I had in the fridge were chicken, pork chops, and beef stew meat. Well, since I couldn't have a nice juicy steak, I'll take a stew instead. Heck, Since I was already making a stew, I might as well add a lid to it and make it a pie!

I took this recipe from my favorite pie book, Pies:Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton. This makes a simple pie with simple flavors. While not fantastically great, it's a good base to add other umami flavors to really make this recipe pop.

For my dinner, I decided to make a fancy two-crust mini-pie for easier and more elegant serving. I served this with some baby potatoes and colorful carrots tossed in olive oil and my favorite seasoning blend: kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and some sweet paprika. Oven-roasted at 375F degrees for 30 minutes, the vegetables were perfectly fork tender. Steamed peas added color the plate as well as rounded out this Brit-inspired meal.

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Beef and Ale Pie
(adapted from Pies:Sweet and Savory)

For the Filling:
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lbs beef stew meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 oz. button mushrooms, halved
2/3 cup beef stock or broth
2/3 cup brown ale
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste

For the Dough:
18 tbsp frozen butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
flour for dusting
1 large egg, lightly beaten, to glaze

 
Make the dough:
Coarsely grate frozen butter into a bowl. Sift over the flour and salt and rub together until well-combined and crumbly. Starting with 1/3 to 1/2 cup water, mix with a fork then with fingertips to form a rough dough. If it is too dry, add more water. Shape the dough into a ball, then place in a clean plastic bag to chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Make the filling:
Season flour with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the beef in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan and brown beef over high heat in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and fry onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until brown, stirring frequently.

Add stock, ale, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and browned beef to the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat becomes tender.

Make the pie:
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Remove dough from refrigerator then roll out on a floured surface. Dough should be about two inches larger than the top circumference of a one quart pie dish. Using the dish as a guide, cut a circle one inch bigger than mouth of the pie dish then set aside for the moment. This is the top lid of the pie.

Discard the bay leaf from the filling then with a slotted spoon, transfer filling into the pie dish. Reserve 2/3 cup of the gravy then pour the rest over the meat mixture. Dampen the edge of the dish with a little water then use the scraps of dough to make a collar all the way around, pressing down firmly to adhere the dough onto the dish. Brush the dough collar with a little egg, then top with the dough lid. Using your finger and thumb, pinch and crimp the edges of the dough together to seal.

Decorate the top with any remaining dough as desired. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining beaten egg then cut 2 to 3 slits to allow for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet or until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot with the reserved gravy.

crustless wonder.

I was in the mood for some pie. I don't remember exactly what triggered the craving, but it was growing exponentially with each passing day. But just because I'm in the mood for pie doesn't mean I wanted to make it myself. Lazy much? Lol.

I think it's all the steps that goes into making a pie: Making the crust, doing the filling, then putting it all together. That's waaay too many steps to go through especially when I want it RIGHT NOW. So when I came across this Amish pie recipe, I was stoked! The pie looked interesting and easy enough to do. I had all the ingredients on hand, so what more could I ask for?

After blitzing this in the blender and pouring it in the pie dish, I was as curious to how this was going to turn out. Waiting patiently for 45 minutes and letting it cool until it was warm-ish, I cut into the pie and tasted it.

I had mixed feelings about the pie.

On one hand, I liked that it had an egg-custard-like texture to it but I was expecting something more like a velvety smooth Bavarian custard. And I don't know if I didn't blend it enough, but my pie turned out wet, like it wasn't blended properly or something and the eggs, milk, and butter didn't incorporate together fully. So, more blending maybe? The flavor was nice, although I wished it was a tad more sweeter.

So, would I make this again? Maybe. I'd probably tweak it a little so that I'd get a more smoother, velvety filling like that in the picture. And amp up the sugar a little. And add more coconut flakes. Hmmm . . . Looks like I might try another recipe for this pie. Damn, it had so many goo reviews too. :/

---- o o o o ---- 

Amish Crustless Coconut Custard Pie
(from Cookin' at Home)

2 cups milk, may use lower fat
4 large eggs
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup butter, room temperature
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 
Place all ingredients into a blender and mix well until smooth. Pour into a 9" deep dish pie pan-- during the baking process, the flour drops to form the crust and the remaining ingredients will form the filling.

Bake at 350F degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

are your nostrils aquiver and tingling? yes, they are...I can tell.

I remember the first meat pie that I ever had was in London, back in November of 2008. I went on this two-week long adventure all by myself in a strange and foreign land. Well, not so strange, but definitely foreign to me! People talked funny and the the money was confusingly colorful. What was the pink paper worth again?? Despite the initial frustration and confusion, I quickly adapted and started to tick off things on my to-do list. Tower bridge? check! Big Ben? Check! 221B Baker Street? Check! Picadilly Square? Double check!

I had a blast and am eternally grateful for having the opportunity to visit such an amazing city. If I were to retire anywhere in the world, it would definitely be London. With that being said, one of my favorite parts of the trip was checking off my ultra toursity foodie list! English breakfasts, mulled wine, cornish pasties, fish and chips, mince pies, and beef and ale pie, oh my!

Speaking of beef and ale pies, I had my first at The Porcupine on Leicester Square. I had been walking all day and looking for the perfect place to get my pie on. This pub was set in a historic building and had a wonderful atmosphere. The pie was excellent! Exactly what I was looking for!

Since then, I've indulged in a few variations of meat pies Some with red wine, some with sausage, and endless varieties of crusts to go along with them. Strangely enough, I never really made a meat pie of my own. Well, to remedy that situation, I decided to go on a hunt for a pie-specific book. I wanted a mix of both sweet and savoury, but not necessarily a baking book. Strictly pies only with the exception of pie-like recipes.

The first book I considered was Pie by Angela Boggiano. A quick look through the book, however, quickly changed my mind about it. While there were lots of pretty pictures, I found I needed more pictures and most of the pies that were listed weren't exactly something that I would readily make (ie, pies with oyster, gooseberry, or chorizo). Also, when looking for a recipe, it was hard to look for a specific kind of pie I wanted to make. It was also the same with The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by Emily Elsen and Melissa Elsen. Although it had lots of great recipes, no savory pies in sight.

A Year of Pies by Ashley English also yeilded the same results. So many fruit and vegetable pies...where were the meat pies?? One other book I considered was Pies and Tarts for Dinner and Dessert by Stephane Reynaud and Marie-Pierre Morel. I liked that the pies were rustic looking and Eastern European based, but it was just a tad bit frou-frou for my taste.

Then I found Pies: Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton. The first time I flipped through the book, I knew that I had found my pie book. Like the title suggested, the book is damn-near cut in half for the amount of sweet vs. savory. The contents are conveniently divided into types of pies to make (meat, fish, vegetarian, fruit, chocolate...) then again into a recipe planner that lists each recipe by pie type (top-crust pies, double-crust pies, cobblers and crumbles, etc...). It also has a chapter devoted to pie dough complete with decorative suggestions and multiple dough recipes. Not only that, but I would probably make most, if not all, the recipes in the cookbook. Winner!!

Now, even though I thought this was a excellent cookbook, I found that some of the directions were a little confusing. Directions could've been worded differently and picture how-to's would probably have helped with my first pie. However, I found that this was easily fixed if you knew what kind of pie you were making (in my case, a top-crust pie).

I've reworded the directions so that it'll be (hopefully) easier to understand. For this recipe, I found that I wanted just a bit more veggie and a tad more gravy than what the recipe called for. Also, the crust was adapted from the original just because, apparently, I can't read directions, lol. We've made this pie twice already. . . now, if we can only get past this one to try the others!

On a side note...no humans were harmed in the making of this pie (in case you missed the Sweeney Todd reference in the title, lol). Yum! Oh, and Happy Halloween!

---- o o o o ---- 

Herb Steak and Vegetable Pie
(adapted from Pies: Sweet and Savory)

For the Filling:
2 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large parsnips, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lbs beef stew meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth
1 cup red wine
2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 bay leaf

For the Dough:
18 tbsp frozen butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
flour for dusting
1 large egg, lightly beaten, to glaze

 
Make the dough:
Coarsely grate frozen butter into a bowl. Sift over the flour and salt and rub together until well-combined and crumbly. Starting with 1/3 to 1/2 cup water, mix with a fork then with fingertips to form a rough dough. If it is too dry, add more water. Shape the dough into a ball, then place in a clean plastic bag to chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Make the filling:
Boil the potatoes, carrots, and parsnip chunks in a saucepan of salted water for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain and set aside. Over high heat, sear meat with 1 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan for 5 to 8 minutes, until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Reduce heat to low and add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the frying pan. Add the onion and a pinch of salt then sweat gently for about 5 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

Increase the heat a little, then add the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, red wine, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Return meat to the pan and simmer gently for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cooked vegetables and season with salt and pepper.

Make the pie:
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Remove dough from refrigerator then roll out on a floured surface. Dough should be about two inches larger than the top circumference of a one quart pie dish. Using the dish as a guide, cut a circle one inch bigger than mouth of the pie dish then set aside for the moment. This is the top lid of the pie.

Discard the bay leaf from the filling then spoon filling into the pie dish. Dampen the edge of the dish with a little water then use the scraps of dough to make a collar all the way around, pressing down firmly to adhere the dough onto the dish. Brush the dough collar with a little egg, then top with the dough lid. Using your finger and thumb, pinch the edges of the dough together to seal.

Brush the top of the pie with the remaining beaten egg then cut 2 to 3 slits to allow for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet or until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot.

rusticky ham and veggie tart.

ah, tarts! one of the best ways to use up veggies going bad and little bits and pieces of other random stuff in the kitchen. :) this was a spur of the moment kind of thing and since i was home sick, cooking was an excellent make-me-feel-better activity. :D



let's start with prepping some pretty veggies. i decided to use three different kinds of onions for this one and caramelizing them before going into the tart. figured i'd add some basil and some sun-dried tomatoes to give it a little kick as well.



in to the pan the onions went with a little bit of garlic while i prepped the egg base. looking in the fridge, i spied a couple of leftover slices of canadian bacon and that was put into the mix as well. i was worried that the tomatoes would be too chewy so that was hydrated in olive oil for a few minutes. then all were mixed together with some salt and pepper and into the oven it goes!


tasty! and pretty to boot. :D i paired this up with a side of baby spinach and arugula topped with a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette for a nice lunch. mmm....perfect! definitely love when spur of the moment works! :D

the fancy chicken pot pie of goodness.

so, after a little bit of a hiatus in food blogging, decided to take it up once again since i've got more time on my hands to click and cook. :) and what do you get when you have potatoes that's about to go bad, onions that are in the same state, and a can of mushrooms that's nearing it's expiration date, and pastry dough that's been in the fridge for a week? well, you make a pot pie of course! :D



ta-daaa! the chicken pot pie of fancy goodness!!
fancy, ain't it? well, since i had a square pan instead of a round one, decided to do a little bit of food artistry with the bit of dough that was cut from the ends. wahahahaaa, who says art classes don't pay off?! ;) got the recipe from The Duo Dishes and made some tweaks since i didn't have a couple of spices nor the amount of people that the recipe called for.

one thing i've learned tho...if using herbs de provence as a seasoning, less is good otherwise everything gets seasoned in thyme. not that that's a bad thing. i like thyme. in fact, i like lots of thyme in my stuffing. but in other dishes, it's just a tad bit no bueno. :/

ugh...horrible plating. XP

and the verdict? wish it were a little more gooey and creamy. it got a little dry during the cooking process. it wasn't bad but next time, definitely going to add more liquid. and less herbs. but it was good, just not what i was expecting. *sigh* up next? who knows! ;D

 
Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie
(from The Duo Dishes)

2 white potatoes, parboiled and cubed
2 red potatoes, parboiled and cubed
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cup baby carrots, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken broth, warm
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon thyme, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon basil, minced
1 teaspoon mint, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
1/2 tablespoon dill, minced
2 bay leaves, whole
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (skipped this, no cheese! D':)
Zest of 1 lemon, minced
6-7 chicken breast tenderloins
2 pie crusts (frozen or prepared) (i used ready-made.)

Perfect Pie Crust
(from Simply Recipes)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup butter, chilled and cubed
1/2 cup Crisco, butter flavor
6-8 tablespoons ice water
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1. Start with crust. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add chilled butter and combine with a pastry blender.

2. Add shortening and combine to cut into flour and butter mixture. Mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.

3. Slowly add ice water by tablespoons. Mix well after each addition until dough begins to stick together.

4. Place dough on a flat surface and divide into 2 even pieces. Roll into balls, dust lightly with flour and wrap in plastic. Place in fridge for at least an hour.

5. As dough chills, drop chicken tenders into boiling water. Cook until no longer pink inside, approximately 2-4 minutes. Set aside in a small bowl. When cool, tear into pieces–a mixture of large and small.

6. In a deep, wide skillet, melt butter and oil. Add garlic, carrots, celery, onions, potatoes and bay leaves. Cook until carrots have softened a bit but aren’t mushy, approximately 10 minutes. Pour in chicken broth.

7. Mix cornstarch and flour into milk. Mix well. Add to cooking vegetables. Toss in peas.

8. Cook until mixture begins to thicken, approximately 8-10 minutes. Stir in remaining herbs, spices, chicken and half of the cheese.

9. Remove bay leaves and take off heat. Allow to cool.

10. As chicken filling cools, take dough out of fridge and roll one ball for bottom half of crust. Drop in 9-inch pie dish and trim edges. Place into fridge as you roll out second piece of dough for top of crust.

11. Pull out crust and pour chicken filling into dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with top crust and trim edges a bit. Roll top crust edges over bottom crust. Press together all around with a fork. Cut slits into top crust.*

12. Whisk egg and milk together. Brush over top crust. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 6 to 8

*Author's Note: This is totally a make in advance meal. Let the filling cool completely (pop into the fridge to speed that up and keep crust in fridge as well). Pour filling into bottom crust, top with upper crust, cut slits and keep in fridge until ready to cook. Brush with egg wash and bake.