VEGGIE POT PIE
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4-6 servings
CRUST INGREDIENTS
1 stick (8 TBS) unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 tsp salt
2-4 TBS iced cold water
CRUST INSTRUCTIONS
Cut butter into small cubes and stick them in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the butter and pulse until it forms a fine crumb. Add in two tablespoons of cold water and pulse again . Continue adding small amounts of water and pulsing until he dough just starts to combine. Turn out the dough and form it into a ball, trying no to over-handle it . Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or until the the of intended use. Meanwhile, start preparation for your pie filling.
PIE INGREDIENTS
1/2 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 stalk fennel, diced
2 small carrots, chopped
1/2 small winter squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes (~1 cup)
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes (~1 cup)
1 cup mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 TBS olive oil, divided
2 sage leaves (finely ribboned), 2 sprigs oregano (finely chopped), 4-5 small sprigs thyme (de-stemmed)
1/2 tsp salt, generous black pepper, a couple light dashes of white pepper
1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 cup broth, 1 TBS cream
PIE INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400. Prepare vegetables as indicated above. Get a cast iron skillet over medium heat with 1 1/2 TBS of olive oil. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can prepare the vegetables in a regular pan. Add the onions, fennel, and carrots, and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Then add the squash, potatoes, and mushrooms. Cook for about 15 minutes more, until the mushrooms have let off their excess liquid and the squash and potatoes start to become tender, stirring occasionally . Add the herbs into the skillet, along with the salt and peppers, give it a good stir, and cook for a couple minutes more.
Add in the flour and stir to coat the vegetables and cook for a couple minutes more. Pour in the wine and, using and a silicon or wooden spoon, deglaze the pan. Add in the broth and bring to a simmer until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the heavy cream. If you've been using a regular pan, rather than the cast iron skillet, transfer the filling to a pie pan
Turn out the pie dough on a lightly floured counter. Press down the dough a bit, to form a slightly flattened circle. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the pastry dough into a large, evenly thin circle (shoot for 1/8" thick). Flip the dough over a couple of times during the rolling process to dust with a little more flour (if necessary) to prevent the dough from sticking. Try to roll the dough out as evenly and roundly as possible. Gently transfer the crust over the top of the pie. Fold the excess crust over itself and press down with a fork around the edges. Poke several holes in the crust with a fork. Place the pie in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes.