One of the best things about Angela Boggiano’s new book, “Pie” (Octopus Books, 2009), is that it has an entire chapter on “hand pies” — savory little pies that fit in the hand and make perfect picnic food, lunchbox treats, appetizers and the like. One of the other best things about “Pie” is that Boggiano is from England, and it is hard to think of an area of the world with a stronger pie tradition than the United Kingdom. Beef-filled Cornish Pasties, fish-filled Stargazy Pies, apples-and-bacon-stuffed Shropshire Fidget Pies, Grimsby Town Soccer Pies made with curried chicken, Scotch Pies with lamb and onion, Pork Pies and “Corner Shop Pies,” redolent of Stilton, beef and wine — these all make appearances in the book, along with Spanish, Russian, Indian and Italian iterations of pie. Boggiano includes a number of sweet pies, too: lemon-curd-and-jam pie, treacle pie, mince pie and raspberry-cream pie — all with the faint whiff of what the British call “nursery food” about them.
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It’s the “hand pies” in her book that keep beckoning, and the mini-pork-and-pancetta pies are mouthwatering. “The ultimate picnic pies,” she calls them. “Sturdy enough to withstand the journey and tasty enough to be devoured when you arrive, or maybe even on the way.” They can be made a day ahead of time and be ready when you are. The salmon pies make a light supper or an appetizer — or a picnic on the shore. (“Fish eaten by the sea always tastes fantastic,” says Boggiano.)
For her pies, Boggiano deserves a hand.
MINI-PORK-AND-PANCETTA PIES
For the pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of lard or solid vegetable shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons water
For the filling:
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
pinch of hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 pound pork loin, finely chopped with a knife or food processor
1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon) or good-quality, lean slab bacon
small bunch chives, snipped
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
salt and ground black pepper
12 quail eggs (see Cook’s note), soft-boiled and peeled
For glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten
Cook’s note: Quail eggs can be purchased in many gourmet and ethnic markets. If you can’t find them, you can substitute 3 chicken eggs. Hard-boil them, peel them, and slice them lengthwise into quarters. Substitute these quarters for the quail eggs. Alternatively, omit eggs and add about 1/3 cup more pork and 2 tablespoons more pancetta to the filling mix.
Make the pastry: Stir the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut the butter and lard (or shortening) into cubes, and add to the flour. Use your fingertips to rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water very gradually, stirring it in with the flat side of a table knife. When the dough just sticks together, knead it lightly until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator, or up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a large sheet about 1/8-inch thick, and cut 12 (4-inch) disks to fit a 12-hole muffin pan. Gently fit these disks into the muffin pan. Cut out 12 (3-inch) disks for the lids, gathering and rerolling dough scraps as needed.
Make the filling: Mix together all filling ingredients except the quail eggs.
Fill half of each pastry-lined muffin cup with the filling, top with a soft-boiled quail egg (see Cook’s note), and then add another layer of filling.
Brush the edges of each pie with a little egg glaze, and then place a lid on top, pressing the edges together to seal. Use a sharp knife to make a hole in the top of each pie, then brush the tops with the egg glaze and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is cooked through. Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 12 pies
Recipe from “Pie” by Angela Boggiano (Octopus Books, 2009)
Smoked Salmon, Shrimp and Herb Pie
For the pastry:
1 cup butter
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
1/2 pound smoked salmon, chopped
1/2 pound small raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
generous 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (see Cook’s note)
grated zest of 1 lemon
ground black pepper
For glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten
Cook’s note: Mascarpone is sold in the dairy aisle of many supermarkets, as well as specialty shops. If you can’t find it, combine 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 tablespoon butter and mix well.
Make the pastry: Place the butter in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until very hard. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Hold the butter using a piece of baking parchment or foil, and grate it into the flour, working quickly. Stir the butter and flour together, sprinkle with water and mix to make a dough, adding a little more water if needed. Bring together to form a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Mix together the filling ingredients.
On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to form a large sheet 1/8 inch thick and cut out 6 (5-inch) disks for the bottoms of the pie. Transfer them gently to the prepared baking sheet. Cut out 6 (6-inch) disks for the tops, gathering and rerolling scraps of dough as needed.
Dollop 2 to 3 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each of the smaller disks on the baking sheet. Brush the edges of the disk with a little of the egg glaze. Position the large disks on top, and press the pastry edges together to seal. Use a sharp knife to create a small hole in the center of each pie. Brush the pies with egg glaze, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
Serve hot or cold.
Yield: 6 pies
Recipe from “Pie” by Angela Boggiano (Octopus Books, 2009)
Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.
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