More Information

• Flaky Pastry Dough

  Adapted from “Tart It Up! Sweet & Savory Tarts & Pies,” by Eric Lanlard.

  2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, chopped into pieces

  1 egg, beaten

  1 tablespoon milk

  SIFT the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

  MAKE a well in the center and add the rest of the ingredients. Again using your fingertips, mix together to make a smooth dough.

  TURN the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead two or three times. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes before using.

  YIELD: Enough pastry for a 9-inch tart pan.

  
  

• Early Autumn Cornish Pasties

  From “Jamie Oliver’s Great Britain” (Hyperion, 2012).

  Pastry:

  3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

  Sea salt

  8 ounces cold unsalted butter

  1 large egg, beaten

  Filling:

  12 ounces skirt steak

  1 white onion, peeled

  1 white potato, peeled

  1 small zucchini

  1 small carrot, peeled

  7 ounces butternut squash, cut into 1/3-inch cubes

  1 whole nutmeg, for grating

  Sea salt and white pepper

  A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, leaves picked

  Olive oil

  POUR the flour into a bowl, season it with a pinch of salt, then use your thumbs and forefingers to rub in the butter. Add 3/4 cup of water and use your hands to quickly mix it up. As it comes together, squeeze, hug and pat it together crudely and imperfectly. Add a bit more water if needed, but don’t overwork it.

  PREHEAT the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the steak and the vegetables into 1/3-inch dice, then put into a bowl, finely grate over a quarter of the nutmeg and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Finely chop the rosemary and thyme leaves and add to the filling. Drizzle in a little olive oil, then mix well and put aside.

  CUT the pastry into 6 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour, then pat and push each piece of pastry out to the thickness of a quarter, dusting and turning as you go. Repeat until you have 6 rounds roughly 8 inches in diameter.

  GET a little filling, compact it in your hand, and place it in the middle of one of the pastry rounds, leaving a border around the edge. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and fold the pastry over the meat and vegetables. Place on baking sheet dusted with flour and repeat with remaining dough.

  PRESS the edges to seal. Brush with beaten egg and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden.

  YIELD: 6 pasties.

  
  

• Iberian Chicken Pie

  From “Tart It Up! Sweet & Savory Tarts & Pies,” by Eric Lanlard (Mitchell Beazley, 2012).

  1 tablespoon butter

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  1 pound raw, boneless chicken, cut into bite-size cubes

  7 ounces chorizo, sliced

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

  2 teaspoon paprika

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  1 recipe flaky pastry dough (see recipe)

  All-purpose flour, for rolling out crust

  1 egg, beaten

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  HEAT the butter and oil in a skillet and saute the chicken over medium heat until it starts to brown. Remove and set aside. Add the chorizo to the skillet and saute for a few minutes until it starts to release its oil, then add the garlic and cayenne and cook a minute or so, stirring to make sure they don’t burn.

  ADD the tomatoes and paprika and return the chicken to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

  PREHEAT the oven to 350 degrees. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Spoon into a large 3- to 3 1/2-quart ovenproof dish.

  ROLL out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Brush the rim of the ovenproof dish with some of the beaten egg. Cover the pie with the pastry and trim off any excess. Use the trimmings to make leaf shapes to decorate the top of the pastry, if desired, using the beaten egg to hold them in place. Press the pastry edges against the rim of the dish to seal. Brush the pastry all over with more beaten egg.

  BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the pie is crisp and golden.

  YIELD: 6 servings.

  
  

• Cheesy Chicken Pot Pies

  Adapted from “The Picky Palate Cookbook,” by Jenny Flake (Wiley, 2012).

  2 cups baby red potatoes

  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  1 1/2 cups diced white onion

  1 cup diced carrot

  1 cup diced celery

  1 tablespoon minced garlic

  2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

  1 cup frozen peas

  8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

  1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

  1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  2 sheets frozen puff pastry, at room temperature

  PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and spray 6 (2-cup) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

  PLACE the potatoes in a large pot of water, bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. (If potatoes are large, halve or quarter before cooking.)

  HEAT the oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken and peas and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

  MELT the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour, salt and pepper and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Stir in the potatoes.

  DIVIDE the filling among the prepared ramekins. Cut the puff pastry into 6 (5-inch) rounds and place over the filling. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puff pastry is golden brown. Let the pies sit for 10 minutes before serving.

  YIELD: 6 servings.