Not-So-Humble Pies (16 page)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Roll out the Parmesan Pastry Crust until it is ⅛” thick. Cut the pastry into 8 pieces. Line 8 (4”) tart pans with the dough, pressing the dough against the rim of the pan to trim. Line the pastry with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 8–10 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 10–12 minutes, or until the tart shells are golden brown all over.

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and dill. Beat until smooth and well combined. Divide the dill mixture evenly between the pastry crusts and spread to form an even layer.

Cut the smoked salmon into 1” pieces, then divide evenly between the tarts in an even layer. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each tart to garnish. Serve cold or at room temperature.

This tart is topped with what the French call a
duxelles
, a mixture of mushrooms and either onions or shallots that is cooked in butter until soft. This recipe uses this typical stuffing as the filling for this tasty tart. Under the duxelles, there is a layer of goat cheese that melts slightly under the warm mushroom mixture, making this dish even more creamy and irresistible.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Line the Parmesan Pastry Crust with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter. Once the butter begins to foam, add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms and salt and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the flour to the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the stock, heavy cream, and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Carefully spread the goat cheese into the bottom of the prepared crust. Spoon the mushroom mixture evenly over the top while still hot. Serve immediately.

It is easy to imagine a slice of this tart served at a bustling sidewalk bistro. The star of this tart is pancetta, the Italian form of bacon which is cured but not smoked. Pancetta has a cleaner pork flavor and does not overpower the other flavors. In this dish, the pancetta is combined with tender potatoes, sweet caramelized onions, and creamy Gruyère cheese to create a layered tart that has as much visual appeal as it has delicious flavor.

In a heavy skillet heat olive oil over medium-low heat, then add the sliced onions and sugar. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the onions are deeply golden brown. Stir the onions often to prevent burning, and add a little water if the pan becomes dry or the onions start to stick. Once caramelized, remove the pan from the heat and cool the mixture completely to room temperature.

In a medium pot, add the sliced potatoes and enough water to just cover the slices. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes well.

In a small skillet over medium heat, add the pancetta. Cook it until it is very crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble the tart, begin by spreading ½ the caramelized onions on the bottom of the pastry. Next, sprinkle ½ the pancetta, ⅓ of the Gruyère, and top with ½ the potato slices. Repeat this process, then top the tart with the remaining Gruyère.

In a small bowl, beat together the egg, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour this over the filling.

Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the filling is just set in the center and the top is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Polenta is an incredibly versatile dish. It can be cooked soft, where it has a creamy texture like southern grits, or it can be cooked firm and either baked or grilled. In this savory dish, the polenta serves as the crust for a filling made of spicy Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese that makes this pie more than posh.

In a medium pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once it ripples and shimmers, add the onions and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth and 3 tablespoons of the butter and bring the mixture to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the polenta and cook until very thick, about 5 minutes.

Pour the polenta into a shallow dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the remaining butter. Once it starts to foam, add the Italian sausage and cook, stirring constantly, until the sausage is browned.

Add the crushed tomatoes, fennel, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Cook until the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Slice the polenta into ¼” thick slices and line a 9” pie plate with ½ of the slices, overlapping them slightly so the bottom of the plate is completely covered. Spread the Italian sausage mixture over the polenta, top with the mozzarella slices, then cover with the remaining slices of polenta. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the cheese on top has browned. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach and artichoke are a popular dip combination; after all, who can resist the nutty flavor of artichokes when mixed with mild spinach in a bubbling hot cheese sauce? Now that same enticing flavor combination makes a guest appearance at your dinner table. If you like, you can turn this tart into bite-sized servings for a cocktail party. Just prepare the tarts in a mini muffin tin rather than a larger tart pan.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Line the Parmesan Pastry Crust with parchment paper or a double layer of aluminum foil and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the butter. Once it foams, add the onion and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic, oregano, fennel, crushed red pepper, and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, artichokes, spinach, mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well, then stir in the onion mixture.

Spread the spinach mixture into the prepared crust. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the filling is hot and just starting to bubble. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Slow-cooked short ribs produce a tender, buttery meat that is traditionally a perfect addition to pasta or salad dishes. This recipe takes a backyard favorite and bakes it into a delectable little pie. Here, short ribs are slow cooked with Latin spices and shredded, and on the side there is a spicy pepper jack cheese sauce for your dipping pleasure.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. While the oil heats, season all sides of the ribs with salt and pepper.

Once the oil ripples and shimmers in the pan, add the ribs and cook until darkly browned on all sides, about 3–5 minutes per side.

While the ribs brown, in a slow cooker, add the bacon, onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro, bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, chili powder, coriander, and salt.

Top with the ribs and add enough beef stock to just cover the ribs. Add water, if needed. Cook on low for 8 hours, then turn off the slow cooker and cool for 1 hour in the liquid before transferring to a container to cool completely. Once cool, shred the meat and mix with 1 cup of the pepper jack cheese.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the pastry into 16 (4”) rounds or squares. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the pastry, then brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg. Place a second piece of dough over the top and pinch or crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Place the pies on the prepared baking sheet and chill for 1 hour.

Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg, then cut a tiny slit into the top of each pie to vent steam. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 20–25 minutes more, or until the pastry is golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the cheese sauce.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter. Once it foams, add the onion, jalapeño, and paprika. Cook until the onion and jalapeño are softened, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the flour is just starting to turn a light golden color. Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the milk. Once all the milk is added, increase the heat to medium again and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 8 minutes. Season with the salt.

Turn off the heat and add the remainder of the pepper jack cheese. Stir until thoroughly melted.

Serve the pies while they are still warm with the sauce drizzled over the top.

Prosciutto, an Italian dry-cured ham, has a delicate and slightly salty flavor, which is similar to bacon but without the smoke. Leeks, a cousin of the onion, also have a delicate, mild flavor. The prosciutto and leeks give this tart a delicate and refined flavor that complements the subtle nuttiness of the Gruyère cheese. Warm slices of this pie make an elegant addition to any meal.