The celebration of National Pie Day – which took place on January 23 – continues, as chefs from Capsicum Culinary Studio share another recipe or two with readers.
Pies, as we know them today, are a fairly recent addition to a history that goes back as long as mankind has had dough to bake into a crust and various ingredients to stuff inside it.
Historians trace the pie’s initial origins to the Greeks, who are thought to be the originators of the pastry shell, which they made by combining water and flour.
The wealthy Romans used many different kinds of meats, even mussels and other types of seafood, in their pies, while in medieval England, they were most often filled with beef, lamb, wild duck or pigeon and spiced with pepper, currants or dates.
Pies have always been a popular form of food because their crusty tops can act as a means of preserving food and were often used by travellers, explorers and adventurers, who used dried fruit, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg to season the meaty fillings. It was only later that pies began to have sweet fillings, and have since become more and more popular over the years.
A cookbook from 1796 listed only three types of sweet pies, while one written in the late 1880s featured eight sweet pie varieties. By 1947, The Modern Encyclopaedia of Cooking listed 65 different varieties and, today, there are literally hundreds of recipes for sweet pies.
Let’s see which ones the chefs from Capsicum Culinary Studio decided on…
Lentil, pumpkin & ricotta pie
Ingredients
1kg pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 2cm wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 leek, thinly sliced
800g firm ricotta
20g fresh breadcrumbs
40g finely grated hard cheese
20g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
400g can brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pastry
300g plain flour
1 tsp salt
150g butter
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons iced water
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 22cm round, springform pan and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
- To make pastry, process flour and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add salt, egg and iced water and process until mixture just sticks together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Shape into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Toss the pumpkin, olive oil, garlic, chilli and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 30 minutes or until golden and tender.
- In a large bowl mix the leek, ricotta, breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley together. Set aside.
- Cut two-thirds off the pastry and reserve the smaller piece. Roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured sheet of non-stick baking paper to a 25cm round. Carefully flip the pastry over your rolling pin and peel away the paper.
Line the base and sides of the prepared tin with the pastry easing it into the edges and pressing into the side, taking care not to stretch the pastry.
- Divide the ricotta mixture into three. Spread a third of the ricotta mixture over the base. Layer half the pumpkin and lentils on top. Spread over half the remaining ricotta and top with remaining pumpkin and lentils.
Finish with the ricotta and smooth the surface. Brush the rim of the pastry with the beaten egg.
- Roll out the remaining piece of pastry on a sheet of floured baking paper to a 5mm-thick, 22.5cm round, then place over filling. Trim edges, then, using a fork or your fingers, crimp edges to seal.
- Brush pastry with beaten egg. Using a sharp knife, make four small slits in the top. Reduce oven to 180°C, then bake for 1 hour or until pastry is golden.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Easy peasy peanut butter pie
Ingredients
350g savoury crackers (such as Salticrax)
6 tbsp light brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
170g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
160g light brown sugar
1 large egg
270g smooth peanut butter
1 pinch flaky salt, plus more for sprinkling
Method
- To make the pie crust: add the crackers to a big bowl and crush with your hands. They should be finely crushed, but not like flour. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir to combine. Add the butter and knead until the mixture is well combined.
- Place the mixture into a 23cm pie pan and use your hands to pat into a compact crust.
- Stick in the freezer until it’s frozen and firm (at least 20 minutes).
- While the crust is freezing, heat the oven to 180°C and make the peanut butter filling.
- Combine the brown sugar and egg in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter with a rubber spatula until totally smooth.
- Add the filling to the frozen crust. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly, so it totally fills the pie. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden brown, and the peanut butter filling is starting to brown.
- Let the pie cool at room temperature for eight to 12 hours before serving. (You can cover it with foil after a few hours, or whenever it’s cool to the touch.)
