"You'll look like an idot," my wife said, "and you have a cold." I was headed to Starbuck for our morning fix. It's only a block away and I hate being over dressed. I miss summer with warm mornings. It's mid-Ocotober and the mornings here are definitely fall. The time has come for what we all call "hearty fare." Food with substance. Food that you want steaming hot out of the oven. I would not eat this for breakfast although I bet my Scottish ancestors had some of this before venturing out to the fields, and mines, and shipyards. You'll surely never hear the word "pie" again without happy thoughts of this fall delight.
This recipe comes from a book titled Pies, Glorious Pies and glorious is what it is. Author Maxine Clark invented this dish for Christmas almost 20 years ago using her Scottish savory pie heritage. Suzen and I spent an afternoon quietly making the pie, decorating it, egg washing, baking, smelling, and finally, finally tasting this hearty work of art.
The principal ingredients here — ham, leek, mushroom, and cheese —are natural pairings and meld in the oven into a mélange that pleases first the nose and then the tongue. The aroma is not subtle, alerting you that something intense will soon be leaving the oven. The first forkful will give you pause. It’s an experience far, far distant from the other pot pies you might have experienced.
There’s plenty of cheese to smooth the flavor and offer great mouth feel. But there is no “flowing” sauce, like you experience with one of those frozen chicken pot pies you surely have tried. This pie is “solid” and dramatically displays its filling with no sauce obscuring the view.
Like many dishes, this one is really better the second day. Time can “cook” — or cure — a dish as no oven can. But, it surely is impossible to take this pie from the oven and put it aside for a day. Hot and steaming from the oven, this dish demands attention.
The recipe below calls for the French Butter Pie Pastry. I’ll post the recipe for this pastry tomorrow. But I do encourage you to get your own copy of Pies, Glorious Pie for the other pie and pastry recipes. Happy as the pies here are, this is a serious book that will provide you with many nights of pie wonder.
Smoked Ham, Leek, and Mushroom Pie
Yield: serves 12
Ingredients:
- 2 quantities French Butter Pie Pastry (see page 29 in the book)
- 6 ½ tablespoons butter
- 1 pound of leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
- 8 ounces dark open-cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pound oak-smoked cooked ham, diced
- 4 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
- 1 ¼ cups fromage frais or crème fraiche
- 1 large egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, to glaze
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 11 by 13-inch baking sheets
- Holly leaf cutter or templates
Preparation:
First make the pastry. When made, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes until firm. The pastry should be divided into two chunks, the first with ⅔ of the dough, the second with ⅓.
When chilled, unwrap the smaller piece of pastry and roll out to fit the baking sheet, keeping any trimmings. Roll out the larger piece a little bigger (as this will cover the whole filled pie), slide onto another baking sheet (it will overhang a little so take care) and chill.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Prick the smaller pastry rectangle with a fork and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then leave to cool. Leave the oven on.
Remove the larger pastry rectangle from the fridge and allow to soften while you make the filling.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the leeks. Cook for a few minutes until beginning to soften, then stir in the Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses. Spread half this mixture over the cooked base, leaving a border around the edge.
Cover with half the sliced mushrooms, then the diced ham. Mix the mustard with the fromage frais and spread all over the ham. Season with pepper, then top with the remaining sliced mushrooms and leek mixture.
Moisten the edges of the cooked pastry base and cover with the larger sheet of pastry, pressing the edges down well to seal. Carefully trim the edges and brush the whole pie with the beaten egg. It will look like a flat cushion.
Re-roll the trimmings and cut out the decorations or strips of your choice with cutters or templates. Cover the whole pie with the decorations brushing with more of the beaten egg.
Chill for 30 minutes, then bake in the oven, still at 400°F, for about 30 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve hot or cold, cut into squares.
Source: Pie, Glorious Pies by Maxine Clark and Steve Painter
Photo Information [Top]: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/2.8 for1/100th second at ISO‑2500
Photo Information [Bottom]: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/2.8 for1/100th second at ISO‑500
