Savoury Pie Comfort

A chilly fall day is the best time to make a main course pie.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Tart with Pine Nuts and Feta Cheese

There’s something about crisp autumn weekends that makes me want to tie on an apron, pull back my hair, and dust off my rolling pin. Savoury pies are the ultimate comfort food and there’s no better time to roll out the dough than when the weather turns cool.

If you’re a pastry novice, consider the galette as a gateway pie. With no crimping to master or tart pan to line, a galette is a terrific way to ease into pastry. The rustic potato and leek galette, pictured here, is a mouth-watering mixture of slowcooked leeks, a medley of cheese, and thinly sliced potatoes bundled in a flaky pastry casing. When leeks are covered and cooked patiently over low heat, they become sweet and meltingly tender.

Next up is a deeply caramelized Brussels sprouts tart laced with a tangy lemon-mustard dressing, feta and pine nuts in a custard base. You may have turned your nose up at Brussels sprouts in the past, but making this tart will be a game changer. The sprouts are blanched briefly in salted boiling water and then pan-roasted over high heat until nearly charred—a technique that brings out their natural sugars and tames their inherent bitter character. The whole wheat pie crust lends a nutty nuance to this hearty fall tart.

If recipes containing pastry find you strolling down your grocer’s frozen food aisle in search of the pre-made stuff, you’re short-changing yourself. Homemade pastry makes the pie! It’s often the recipes with the fewest ingredients (in this case flour, fat, and water) that trip us up. Fortunately, even the most challenged home bakers can master pies when armed with a little pastry know-how.

A common pastry blunder is over-mixing the dough. When first incorporating the fat (lard, vegetable shortening, or butter) into the flour, don’t be overzealous. The goal is to have some larger pieces of fat (lima bean size), distributed among the mostly smaller (baby pea size) pieces, rather than a fine uniform mixture. It’s the larger pieces of fat that create steam and puff up the pastry, creating a flaky dough. This is why I use a pastry blender or two knives rather than a food processor, which offers little control over the outcome. (Lard, by the way, produces the flakiest pastry; butter yields a firmer crust.) Adding too much liquid is another way to ruin a perfectly good pastry. Add only enough water to bring the dough together in a shaggy mass cohesive enough to gather together into a disk.

Do you struggle with pastry dough sticking to your work surface? If so, you’ll appreciate the magic of parchment paper. Slipping a sheet of parchment underneath your dough not only prevents the pastry from sticking, it eliminates the need for additional flour. And more flour often leads to overworking the dough— the very thing that leads to subpar pastry. Likewise, covering your dough with a plastic wrap and rolling the dough over the plastic prevents your rolling pin from sticking.

And whether you’ve never rolled out pastry or haven’t done it in a while, there’s no better time. Fall is baking season—roll up your sleeves and let the flour fly!

Whichever recipe you choose, do yourself a favour and prepare the pastry in advance. Pie making is far more approachable when it’s broken down into manageable chunks.

Sweet, slow-cooked leeks, a medley of cheese, and thinly sliced potatoes wrapped in a flaky pastry casing

Potato Leek Galette

Makes two 8-inch galettes (each galette serves 4-6).

Note: The pies can be assembled and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking.

Flaky Pastry Dough

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp table salt

½ lb (226 g) lard or vegetable shortening, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 whole egg

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 cup ice cold water

Potato Leek Filling

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 lbs leeks, about six medium, white part only, washed and thinly sliced, about six cups

Kosher salt

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus lemon zest from one lemon

6 oz soft cheese, such as goat cheese or cream cheese, about ¾ cup

4 oz shredded Greyère cheese, about 1 cup

5 oz of crumbled feta, about 1 cup

4 anchovies, rinsed and finely minced (or 2 tsp anchovy paste)

2 tsp finely minced garlic, about 2 cloves

1 tsp dried chili flakes (use less if you prefer a tamer galette)

2 medium new potatoes

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp fresh rosemary

2 tsp fresh thyme

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp whipping cream (or beaten egg)

To make the dough: Place the flour and salt in a largebowl and mix to combine. Add the lard or shorteningand cut the fat into the flour with a pastry blender ortwo knives until the mixture is crumbly with somelarger pieces along with the (mostly) finer particles.

In a spouted measuring jug, combine the egg, vinegarand enough ice water to equal 1 cup; mix with a fork.Gradually pour about half the liquid into the flour andmix with a fork, adding only enough additional liquidto make the dough cling together in an untidy mass.You won’t use all the liquid; you’ll have anywhere from¼ to ½ cup left over.

When the dough becomes too difficult to mix with afork, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface andshape it into a disk about 1 inch thick. Cover withplastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Divide the dough in half and roll each portion on asheet of parchment generously dusted with flour, into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter, 1/8 inch thick. Cover and refrigerate.

To make the filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt the butter in a large saucepan; add the sliced leeks and ½ tsp salt. Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally until completely soft and tender, about 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes dry and threatens to burn, add a splash of water. Remove the lid for the last five minutes of cooking to allow any residual moisture to evaporate. Add the lemon juice. Cool completely.

In a small bowl combine the soft cheese, Greyère, feta, anchovies, garlic, chili flakes, and lemon zest.

Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible, preferably with a mandoline or vegetable slicer. Place in a bowl with 2 Tbsp oil and mix to ensure the potatoes are completely coated. Spread the potatoes onto two parchment-lined baking sheets in a single layer. Bake in a preheated oven until the potatoes are barely cooked and not yet browned, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F and preheat a baking tray. (The preheated tray helps the pastry base firm up faster, thereby preventing a soggy crust.) Remove the pastry from the fridge, leaving the parchment beneath your pastry as you work. Divide the cheese mixture equally between the pastry circles, and spread the mixture evenly on each, leaving a 2-inch border. Divide the rosemary and thyme and scatter evenly over the cheese mixture.

Divide the cooled leeks and spread evenly over the cheese and herbs, leaving a 2-inch border.

Finally, divide the cooked potatoes and layer them on top of the leeks, overlapping slightly, leaving a generous 2-inch border. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Fold the pastry border towards the centre of each galette, crimping the pastry as you fold. Brush the edges with cream (or beaten egg) and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese.

Carefully remove the baking tray from the oven, and transfer the galettes, with the parchment paper underneath them, onto the heated tray.

Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F then reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until the pastry is browned and cooked through, about 40 minutes total. Rotate the pan halfway through baking and cover with foil as necessary to prevent burning. Cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature or re-warm in a low oven.

Deeply caramelized Brussels sprouts pair with a hearty whole wheat crust made with flax meal

Rustic Brussels Sprouts Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart.

Flax meal and whole wheat flour createa hearty pastry with a nutty nuance.

Whole Wheat Dough

1½ cups all-purpose white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup flax meal

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, firm, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 whole egg

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 cup ice water

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Brussels Sprouts Filling

1½ lbs Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced, tough ends trimmed and discarded, about 8 cups sliced

6 Tbsp vegetable oil

Kosher salt

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon-style mustard

2 anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped, or 1 tsp anchovy paste

1 tsp hot sauce, such as sriracha

3 whole eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 oz of crumbled feta cheese, about 1/3 cup heaping

2 Tbsp pine nuts

Special Equipment

You’ll need a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and pie weights (beans or rice work, too).

Flax meal, whole wheat and all purpose flour create a hearty pastry with a nutty nuance

Whole Wheat Dough

Place the flours, flax meal and salt in a large bowl andmix to combine. Add the butter and cut into the flourwith a pastry blender or two knives until the mixtureis crumbly with some larger pieces along with the(mostly) finer particles.

In a spouted measuring cup, combine the egg, vinegarand enough ice water to equal 1 cup; mix with a fork.Gradually pour about half the liquid into the flourmixture and mix with a fork, adding only enoughadditional water to make the dough cling together in anuntidy mass. You won’t use all the water; you’ll haveanywhere from ¼ to ½ cup left over.

When the dough becomes too difficult to mix witha fork, transfer to a lightly floured work surfaceand shape into two disks, about 1 inch thick, beingmindful not to overwork the dough. Cover with plasticwrap and refrigerate for an hour. You’ll need only onedisk of pastry for this recipe. (The extra pastry can bestored in the fridge for two days or in the freezer for upto six weeks.)

Transfer one disk of the chilled dough to a sheet ofparchment dusted with flour. Place a sheet of plasticwrap on top and roll the dough from the centre towardthe pastry’s edge in all directions to about ⅛ inch thick.

Transfer the dough to the tart pan, pressing againstthe fluted edges of the pan. Trim the pastry, cover withplastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutesbefore baking.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Remove the dough from the fridge, discard the plasticwrap, and using a fork, prick the dough in severalplaces (to prevent it from buckling and rising unevenly).Cover with tinfoil and add pie weights (or beans or rice).

Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once topromote even browning. Carefully remove the pastryfrom the oven, discard the foil, remove the pie weightsand sprinkle the pastry evenly with the Parmesancheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, and continue tobake until the Parmesan is golden, about 12 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Parmesan cheese creates a flavourful base for whole wheat pastry

Brussels Sprouts Filling

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a roaringboil (it should taste salty, like seawater—about 2 Tbspper 12 cups water).

Tip the sliced Brussels sprouts into the boiling water.Bring to a boil again and blanch for two minutes.Remove the sprouts with a slotted spoon and drainin a colander. Without delay, run cold tap water over

sprouts until cool. Transfer to a clean tea towel. Roll the towel jelly-roll fashion, and squeeze dry to remove any excess moisture from the Brussels sprouts. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large (13-inch) skillet until shimmering but not smoking. Working in batches, place about one third of the blanched Brussels sprouts into the hot skillet and add a pinch of salt, about ¼ tsp, to each batch. Cook until the vegetables have charred around the edges, shaking the pan, to prevent burning, about six minutes per batch. (If using a smaller skillet, you may need to cook an additional batch, but use no more than ¾ tsp kosher salt in total.) Transfer the sprouts to a medium bowl to cool.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together the lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, and hot sauce. Pour the mixture over the cooked Brussels sprouts and mix to combine. Set aside to cool.

Caramelized Brussels sprouts, feta cheese, and pine nuts create the ultimate comfort dish

In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring jug, combine the eggs, cream, yogurt, and 1½ tsp kosher salt. Mix well to combine.

Line the cooled baked pastry with the cooled Brussels sprouts mixture. Pour the egg-cream mixture over the sprouts. Sprinkle evenly with feta and pine nuts.

Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the centre is nearly firm, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Place foil over the tart as necessary to prevent burning.

Cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes, before serving.