The Artful of Pie by Denise Marchessault
In honour of pie day, March 14 3.14, we salute the Queen of Pie, Denise Marchessault, and her newest cookbook The Artful Pie Project, with Deb Garlick. Denise is a fellow member of Les Dames d’Escoffier British Columbia and has been an integral part of our scholarship committee for several years. We get many applicants sorting through the applications and ensuring the worthiest receive the scholarships is one of our most important tasks. Thank you, Denise!
Denise is also presenting some Cooking Classes including one held in conjunction with my favourite magazine and podcast, Milk Street, The Magic of Meringue on April 5.
As noted in my article on Top Canadian Cookbooks of 2022 in Vita Daily (read HERE), The Artful Pie Project is an absolute treasure.
The Artful Pie Project by Denise Marchessault and Deb Garlick: Whether you are a seasoned baker, or just beginning your journey into pie making, The Artful Pie Project will provide you with the knowledge you need to produce a wide array of beautiful pies. Marchessault is a cooking class instructor, and she really knows how to break down the steps into bite-size pieces (pun intended) that enable you to master these recipes. Deb Garlick’s photos and illustrations alongside the recipes add character to this charming cookbook. You’ll master pastry as you cook through sweet and savoury pies with everything from galettes to pastry dumplings and slab crumbles. I’m drooling over the Blueberry Cream Cheese Turnovers and the Roasted Vegetable Tarts could easily become a staple in your recipe repertoire.
Today we bring you the only pie dough recipe you need and a fish pie. May we suggest ordering your 100% sustainable Ocean Wise seafood from our friends at Organic Ocean, who also have salmon pies if you are too lazy, I mean busy, to make this one!
Flaky Pastry Dough
Yields 1 double-crust pie
Ingredients
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp table salt
½ pound (1 cup) lard, vegetable shortening, or butter cut into 1-inch pieces
1 whole egg
1 Tbsp white (or cider) vinegar
ice cold water
Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the lard, shortening or butter and cut into the flour with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly with some larger, bean size pieces along with the (mostly) finer particles.
In a spouted measuring jug, combine the egg, vinegar and enough ice cold water to equal 1 cup; mix with a fork. Gradually pour about half the liquid into the flour and mix with a fork, adding only enough additional liquid to make the dough cling together. You’ll know you’ve added enough liquid when you can grab a portion of dough with your hands and it sticks together, and there are very few crumbs at the bottom of your bowl.
Transfer the dough, a shaggy mass at this stage, to a flour-dusted work surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, shape into two disks, one about an inch thick. Wrap tightly with plastic and wrap and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes.
If you’ve used butter, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for a while before it’s rolled out. You’ll know it’s ready to roll when you press the dough with your finger, and it leaves a slight imprint.
Fish Pot Pies
Slow-cooked leeks and aromatic fennel meld together in a lemony cream sauce for these sumptuous fish pies. A splash of Pernod—licorice a flavoured liqueur—accentuates the inherent sweetness of the fish. Seafood is added to the sauce raw, preventing the fish from becoming overcooked in the oven. The pastry can be made days in advance. You’ll want to purchase the fish/seafood from an outlet with a high turnover—though if it’s not recently caught, frozen-at-sea is an excellent choice too.
Yield Makes six to eight 6–8 oz (175–230 g) pies
Pastry
1 recipe Flaky Pastry Dough, only half the dough needed
1 large egg, lightly beaten, for brushing the pastry + more as needed
Sauce
1/3 cup (80 mL) unsalted butter (about 75 g)
1/3 cup (80 mL) all-purpose flour
21/4 cups (530 mL) fish or low-sodium chicken stock, preferably homemade + more as needed
1 cup (250 mL) whole or 2% milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (90 mL) Parmesan cheese (about 35 g), freshly grated
Kosher salt
Filling
2 Tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter (about 30 g)
6 cups (1.5 L) sliced leeks, white part only (about 750 g)
3 cups (750 mL) diced fennel bulb (about 500 g, or 1 medium bulb)
Kosher salt 2 Tbsp (30 mL) Pernod
1/4 cup (60 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice + more as needed
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) dried red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lb (680 g) fresh fish (salmon, cod, snapper, scallops, etc.), skin and pin bones removed
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh herbs, finely minced (single variety or a mixture of parsley, dill, chives
and tarragon)
Special equipment
Eight 6 oz (175 g) or six 8 oz (230 g) ramekins or other ovenproof containers
Pastry
Prepare the pastry and place the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper dusted with flour. Layer a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough and roll (over the plastic) from the center toward the pastry’s edge in all directions until about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Remove the plastic and cut the pastry into 6 (or 8, depending on the number of ramekins) circles that are about 1/2 inch (1 cm) larger than your ramekins, gathering and re-rolling the dough, as necessary. Leftover dough can be cut into fish shapes to decorate the pastry tops if desired.
Place the pastry circles onto a tray or plate lined with parchment paper dusted with flour. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes. Alternatively, stack the circles between parchment or wax paper, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes.
Sauce
Melt 1/3 cup (80 mL) butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour and butter are golden, about 4–5 minutes. Add the stock, milk and whipping cream and whisk until thickened and free of lumps. The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. Reduce the heat, add the cheese and 1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt and mix until smooth. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt or lemon juice if desired. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with extra stock. Set aside while preparing the filling.
Filling
Melt 2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel and 1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt. Cook, partially covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and tender, about 25 minutes. Increase the heat and add the Pernod and stir until the alcohol has evaporated. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and red pepper flakes.
Pour the leek/fennel mixture into the sauce, stirring to combine. Taste and season with additional salt or lemon juice, if desired.
Season the fish evenly with a pinch of kosher salt. Cut into large, bite-sized pieces (the fish will shrink as it cooks) and add it to the cream/vegetable mixture. Add the fresh herbs and mix until combined.
Putting it all together
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place your ramekins on a baking tray lined with foil or parchment. Ladle the creamed fish mixture into each ramekin. Brush the rims of the ramekins with beaten egg.
Retrieve the pastry circles from the fridge. Place them on top of the ramekins and press the edges down with your fingers, crimping the pastry over the edge. Cut vents into the pastry and brush the dough with additional egg. Decorate with pastry fish shapes, if desired, brushing them with any remaining egg.
Bake the pies in the preheated oven, leaving space between each, for 30–40 minutes or until the pastry has browned and the filling bubbles from the pastry vents.
Allow the pies to cool for a few minutes before serving as the filling will be piping hot.
