I am generally a fan of crusts in any food-related context, and in my endeavours to create the highest crust:filling ratio, settled upon the ease and simplicity of biscuit topping. Why? Well, it's immensely quick to make, rises quite nicely, and is comforting and rewarding for the minimal effort it takes to prepare. And unlike a standard pâte brisée, biscuit can stand a fair bit more in terms of extras: mustard, horseradish, cheese, you get the idea.
Remember, my ingredients list for the filling is very much a guideline. Substitute whatever you have on hand, and leave things out if you see fit.
***Veggie Pot Pie***
Dough:
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. mustard OR horseradish OR 1/4 cup grated cheese
Filling:
2 medium potatoes, diced (about 1/2 inch)
2 carrots, diced
1 small turnip, peeled and finely diced
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped cabbage (optional)
1/3 cup chopped white or cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup fresh and shelled or frozen peas
1/3 cup milk or plain soy milk
1 tbsp. tahini
1/4 tsp. chili flakes
1 tsp. flour (whisked into about 3 tbsp. of the milk)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
Begin with the dough. In a large mixing bowl, sift together your dry ingredients, and create a well in the centre. Add your butter, egg, mustard (or whatever you're using), and slowly pour in your milk, bit by bit, while turning the flour into the centre of the well. Mix well (sometimes I use a fork to mix this). You want a rough dough that is not wet, but slightly sticky. You should be able to turn it out onto a floured surface to pat it to 1 1/2 inch thickness in whatever shape your dish is. As for the dish, don't forget you need a thick, oven proof casserole or something similar.
Onto the filling, heat a sautée pan over medium heat. Add the oil and butter, and once it is radiating warmth, toss in your onions. Follow soon after with your carrots and potatoes, but make sure to keep these moving as the starch in the potatoes will cause them to stick quite easily. If you don't trust your attention span, use a non-stick pan for this. Next, add your turnip and cabbage, and season with salt and pepper. Once your onions soften to translucency, add your mushrooms and peas, followed by your milk. Allow this to come to a simmer for about 10 minutes before whisking in your tahini, chili flakes, and flour mixture. Simmer for 2 more minutes, or until it develops a gravy-like consistency.
Rub the sides of your casserole dish with a bit of butter, and pour in your filling. Gently place your rolled out dough atop the filling, making sure it doesn't sink. Dot with bits of butter, and poke a couple tiny holes every three inches so the dough doesn't bubble and misshape.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes on the top rack. Turn the oven off and let stand for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes out of the oven before eating this, ideally, in big bowls curled up on the sofa.
* Variations:
To make this vegan, simply substitute soy milk throughout, and for the dough (don't tell anyone) I think it works just fine with margarine substituting for the butter and egg. It may not be as light, though. As for the filling, just substitute butter with olive oil, in equal proportions.
Additionally, those who eat with me frequently may notice that the filling recipe is strikingly similar to my vegetable stew recipe. Guess what: it is basically the same. Generally, I increase the milk in the stew to about 1/2 cup and use more mushrooms, just because I like it to be a bit soupier.
It's a very creamy, rich stew, with strong tahini flavour, so if you don't like that, try substituting vegetable stock for both the milk and tahini. So there you have it.
Suggested music: Johnny Flynn (http://myspace.com/johnnyflynn)
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