Last week, a friend ask me what my favorite recipe was, and I had a really hard time coming up with an answer. I have certain favorite recipes for breakfast while I turn to others for lunch. Likewise, I have a number of go-to recipes for dinner and desserts, so it was really hard impossible to pick just one recipe as my favorite. But what I did realize is that many of my favorite recipes include homemade dough of some sort. I love artisan breads and homemade pizzas, and who can turn down a delicious flaky pie crust? I enjoy making (and of course, eating) all of these types of recipes. So you can imagine my excitement when I had the opportunity recently to review a new book dedicated solely to Savory Pies!
Today’s post features two recipes from Greg Henry’s book, “Savory Pies.” Greg includes several different pie crust recipes in his book, and this Broccolini Tart was made using the Basic Pie Dough recipe below. This pie dough is made using a food processor to cut in the butter and water, and I personally found the entire process to be quite simple. The dough took no more than 10 minutes to make, and while it was cooling in the fridge, I prepared the veggies and other toppings for the tart.
Ingredients
- Basic Pie Pastry (see recipe below)
- 1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper, plus more as needed
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 pound broccolini, ends trimmed
- Flour for rolling
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 18 small cherry or grape tomatoes (about ⅓ pound)
- 3 ounces crumbled feta
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 1 large egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry recipe, adding 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper with the flour.
- Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
- Add 1 garlic slice to the hot oil, it should bubble; if so, add the remaining garlic.
- Cook, swirling the pan often, until the garlic just begins to color on the edges, about 1 minute more. (Don’t let the garlic get too brown—it will continue to cook in the hot oil.) Set garlic and oil aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccolini and blanch about 2 minutes.
- Using tongs, transfer while still bright green to a paper towel–lined plate. Pat dry with more paper towels.
- Once the dough has rested in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, flip dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, shape the dough into about a 12 x 15-inch rectangle, a generous ⅛ inch thick. Carefully fold in half crosswise, slide onto the rolling pin, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Unfold and center the dough. If it tears, gently repair it with scraps.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and arrange the broccolini evenly on the dough in an attractive, casual manner, leaving a 2-inch border all around.
- Nestle the tomatoes into the broccolini here and there.
- Top with feta and red pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the infused oil from the fried garlic.
- Season lightly with a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Fold the dough border casually over the filling without stretching it. Let it drape and fall where it will; it won’t cover all the filling.
- Brush the exposed dough with egg wash.
- Refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the chilled tart until the crust is golden, the tomatoes begin to pucker, and the feta starts to color, about 30 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with fried garlic slices and a drizzle of garlic-infused oil.
The author of this book, Greg Henry, is not only a chef, but a photographer as well, and his photography skill certainly shows when you flip through the various pictures in this book. I found that the recipes in this book are not only easily approachable but often add a gourmet twist which will certainly impress your family and friends! (I love the addition of the garlic-infused olive oil and fried garlic on this Broccolini Tart.)
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons very cold European-style (high-fat) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 or 3 ice cubes
- ⅓ cup cold water (plus 2 tablespoons, if needed)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt 5 or 6 times until well combined. (If a specific recipe calls for additional spices, herbs, cheese, vinegar, or lemon juice, this is the time to add them.)
- Add the butter and pulse 10 or 12 more times until the mixture is crumbly and coarse, with various-size chunks of butter visible throughout.
- Wedge 2 or 3 ice cubes, broken up if necessary, in the processor’s feed tube. With the machine running, pour up to ⅓ cup cold water over the ice in the ice-filled feed tube a tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together and begins to pull cleanly away from the sides of the bowl in jagged clumps. (Tip: Don’t let the machine run too long, and don’t worry if you don’t use all the water. Overworked dough and/or too much water are the main culprits in making pastry tough or dense. However, in warm weather or dry climates you may need up to 2 tablespoons more cold water.)
- Move the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently knead it 2 or 3 times. If it seems quite sticky or at all wet, sprinkle in another few teaspoons flour.
- Give the dough a couple more quick, gentle kneads.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 discs about 5 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick, or as indicated in the individual recipe.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days) to distribute the moisture evenly, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Notes
This recipe makes two 8 to 10-inch pie crusts or one 8 to 10-inch double-crust shell. The Broccolini Tart calls for just a single crust, so you can either cut this recipe in half or reserve half of the dough for a future pie. (The dough will hold in refrigerator for about 2 days and in the freezer for about 30 days.)
Not only is this Broccolini Tart quite tasty, but it’s colorful, too! Is it wrong to have a savory pie for dinner and a sweet pie for dessert on the same night? I think not. Enjoy!
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