‘Tis the season for soups and stews. And casseroles and other baked goodies. One of my seasonal favorites is a pot pie – a creamy filling and a crust. How could it be wrong?
In this case, it definitely wasn’t! Leftover beef stew with a cheesy crust was just what Mother Nature ordered!
The crust idea came from a BBC recipe for a Cheese and Onion Pie. I have never made it, but that’s true of many – most?!? – of the recipes in the collection. They’re there to spur the creative juices…
Anyway…
I had been thinking a puff pastry top, and then thought a standard pie crust. Then I thought I should look at some of the 70 or so Savory Pies and Tarts I have on Paprika. Cheese and Onion won.
Savory Cheese Pastry
adapted from BBC.com
- 450g/1lb plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 120g/4½oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 50g/2oz quattro formaggio
- 120ml/4fl oz water
Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt, butter and egg yolk in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheese and blend until well combined.
Gradually add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing continuously until the mixture just comes together as a dough. (You may not need to use all of the water.) Roll the dough into a ball, then wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour.
I rolled the pastry fairly thick – I didn’t want Pru and Paul to complain about “soggy bottoms” – but I also wanted a hearty crust.
I used individual pie plates and filled the crust with the cold leftover stew and crimped the crust over. And then into a 425° F oven for about 40 minutes.
Winner Winner Beef Stew Dinner!
The crust was crispy, the stew was stewy – all-in-all a perfect fall dinner!