The framework for this vegetarian pie is taken from a lenten recipe from an 18th century cookbook.
18th Century Lenten Pie
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry dough
- 1 stick butter divided
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 2 ½ cups filtered water
- 2 red apples not Red Delicious
- 2 leeks leaves set aside for another purpose, cut into thin rounds
- ½ bunch fresh parsley chopped
- 1 bunch green onions cut into rounds
- 3 leaves Swiss chard roughly chopped
- 4 leaves red leaf lettuce roughly chopped
- 1 egg
- kosher salt
- pepper freshly ground
- nutmeg freshly grated
- ground allspice
Instructions
- Remove pastry dough from freezer. Separate the sheets and set aside to thaw.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the oatmeal: Set your Instant Pot to high Sauté. Melt 1 Tbsp butter. Sauté shallots with 1 tsp salt. Add freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add dry oats and toss to coat. Add water and stir, making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot liner. Add Instant Pot lid, seal, and cook on High pressure for 4 minutes. Allow a 20 minute natural release before removing the lid.
- Peel and core apple. Cut into thick rounds, then cut rounds into quarters.
- Wash vegetables thoroughly and cut according to ingredient list.
- In a cast iron pan, melt 1 stick of butter. Fry apple slices for two minutes, turning slices halfway through.
- Add leeks and parsley, as well as salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice to taste. Fry for two minutes, tossing constantly.
- Add green onions and chard. Fry for 1 minute, tossing constantly.
- Remove from heat and toss in lettuce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Add prepared oatmeal to pan and fold to combine.
- Grease a 9 1/2" pie tin (I used a Pyrex pie plate.)
- Roll out the first sheet of pastry dough and form into a bottom crust in the pie tin. Prick all over the bottom with a fork. Fill with the contents of the skillet. Roll out the second sheet of pastry dough and form into a top crust.
- Trim the excess dough, leaving about 3/4" overhanging the edge of the pie tin. Seal the upper and lower crusts with a wetted finger, fold the edges of the crust under to double the edges, and crimp the layers together. Use the tines of a fork to flute the edges. Cut some slits in the upper crust to vent.
- Prepare an egg wash (whisk 1 egg with 1 Tbsp water) and brush the crust all over.
- Place pie in oven for 40 – 45 minutes. If the crust starts to darken too aggressively you may need to drop the temperature to 375°F.
- Remove from oven, set on a rack, and let cool for at least an hour before serving.