Gone to potpie

Posted 8/21/12

The potpie, that comforting American classic, dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, when all sorts of meats were tucked under burnished pastry crusts to serve at elaborate banquets. Nowadays, …

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Gone to potpie

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The potpie, that comforting American classic, dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, when all sorts of meats were tucked under burnished pastry crusts to serve at elaborate banquets. Nowadays, four-and-twenty blackbirds have been replaced by somewhat more prosaic options, like chicken and beef. If you include enough vegetables, the potpie becomes the perfect one-dish meal to enjoy on a cold winter’s eve.

What could be cozier than a potpie? Break through the golden crust and a finger of steam beckons you toward tender chunks of goodness bound in a creamy sauce. Potpies are a great repository for leftovers—chicken, short ribs, even fish—or any odds and ends rattling around the vegetable bin. And if you keep some dough in the freezer, you’ll be ready when the temperature drops. Your favorite pie crust or galette dough recipe works fine, and you can even use puff pastry if you’re looking to buy something ready-made.

For my vegetable potpie, I rely on winter staples like celery, carrots, potatoes and tiny Brussels sprouts, plus some summer peas from my stash in the freezer. Squash, turnips, celeriac and greens would also fit in nicely. A handful of dried porcini mushrooms adds an earthy flavor. A simple soak in hot water reconstitutes them back to their juicy state and the soaking liquid makes a delicious base for soups and sauces, including the béchamel (made with milk) or velouté (made with stock) for your potpie.

This white sauce is a classic component of the potpie, and I like to make mine with the slightly unusual combination of stock, cream and buttermilk—or with whey, if I have that on hand. I flavor it further with some sharp and salty pecorino. Once you’ve combined it with the blanched vegetables, scrape everything into a big casserole—or small ones for individual potpies—and drape the pastry over the top. While it’s baking, sit by the fire and enjoy the tantalizing smells wafting from your oven. They’re just one of the reasons to love winter….

Vegetable Potpie

Serves 2

Pie crust, galette dough or 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms

2 celery stalks, diced small

1 large carrot, peeled and diced small

2 large fingerling potatoes, peeled and diced small

1 cup small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise

1 cup frozen peas

1 leek, pale green and white parts only, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1/2 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or strained mushroom soaking liquid

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon heavy cream, divided

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup grated pecorino

Preheat oven to 400ºF. 


Place porcinis in a small bowl and pour over hot water to cover. Set aside. 


Fill a medium saucepan with salted water and bring it to a boil. Add the celery, carrot, potato, Brussels sprouts and peas and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain well and set aside. (You should have about 3 cups.) 


Drain porcinis, reserving the liquid, which you can strain and use in place of the chicken stock or store for another purpose. Chop the mushrooms and add to the other vegetables. 


In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the leeks and salt and sauté for a few minutes. 


Stir in the flour and rosemary sprig and cook for another couple of minutes before slowly adding the chicken stock, stirring as the sauce thickens. Then gradually add 1/2 cup of heavy cream, stirring all the while, followed by the buttermilk. Keep stirring until sauce thickens nicely, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the pecorino. Let sauce cool slightly, remove the rosemary sprig and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir the cooked vegetables into the sauce. 


If using galette dough, remove from fridge and roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8” thick. (Puff pastry does not need to be rolled out.)

Divide the vegetable mixture evenly between two small casseroles or oven-proof bowls. Cut out two pastry rounds about 1/2” larger in circumference than the bowls, and lay over each bowl. Crimp the edges as you would a pie. Cut slits in the top and brush all over with the remaining tablespoon of cream. Sprinkle a little flaky salt over the top if you like. Place pot pies on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove, cool slightly, and enjoy right away. Once entirely cooled, pies may be wrapped and frozen. Reheat in a 325º oven, directly from freezer.

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