Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Ingredients
Scale
FOR THE CRUST
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup more for rolling
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 TBS cold butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 TBS vodka (optional- or use extra water)
- 3 TBS ice water
FOR THE PIE
- 3 TBS butter
- 1 leek, washed and chopped
- handful of mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp each chopped fresh thyme and rosemary
- 2 TBS all purpose flour
- 1 or 2 each parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, and potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, or more to your taste
- 3 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1/2 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk
- 1 beaten egg, for brushing the crust
Instructions
- 1- Preheat the oven to 425F. In a food processor (or by hand with a fork or pastry cutter), combine 2 cups flour and the salt and baking soda. Cut or pulse in the butter, mixing until it looks like cornmeal. Mix in the egg and the vodka. Slowly add the water, 1 TBS at a time, mixing after each TBS, just until the mixture starts to form a large clump with some mealy bits at the bottom. Don’t add too much water. Spread a large piece of plastic wrap on your counter and dust it with 1 TBS of flour. Unload the dough onto this with all the mealy bits. It should look shaggy, and not stick together into a ball; this is good. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap, and use the plastic wrap to shape it into a thick round disk. Put this in the refrigerator.
- 2- Make the pie filling. Melt the 3 TBS butter in a medium sized pot. Add the leek, mushrooms, garlic, and herbs and saute on medium heat until everything is soft. Add the flour and mix well, cooking and stirring another 3-4 minutes. Now add all your diced root vegetables, salt and pepper, and then whisk in the stock or water. Simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid has thickened and reduced by half, and potatoes are tender but not mushy– about 8-10 minutes. Add the cream (or other dairy) turn the heat to low, and simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens again. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- 3- Pour the pot pie mixture into a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Take the crust out of the refrigerator. With the time to hydrate and chill, it should now come together into a cohesive disk. Turn the crust out onto a floured board and roll it into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Lay this over the pie filling, crimp as desired, and brush with the beaten egg. Cut a few slits to vent the steam.
- 4- Bake the pie for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can use store-bought pie crust or puff pastry, but don’t be afraid to make your own! The vodka and egg keep this crust from getting tough.