Pumpkin Pot Pie with Parmigiano Crust
I. LOVE. FALL. Call me basic, call me trendy, call me whatever you damn want... Autumn is my JAM. Chilled, crisp air; crunchy, colorful leaves; misty mornings; comfy clothes; a slight spookiness in the air - sign me up. Um, hey guys? In case I didn't make this clear, just for the record, I love fall.
Of all the myriad things I love about this cozy season, fall food has to be up there at the top. Not in a pumpkin-spice-everything kind of way (did you know that there's pumpkin spice jello? Oh yeah. That's where we are now), but in a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, gather-the-family-around-the-table kind of way. Fall opens up a world of food that makes you want to snuggle up in front of the fireplace in a big ol' armchair and dig into a bowl of something delicious and comforting.
This recipe is exactly that - rich, sloppy, delicious, and comforting. I found the original recipe on Earthy Feast, but have made a few tweaks of my own. This is a very forgiving recipe, especially when it comes to the filling, so feel free to add in some of your favorite fall foods - turkey, chicken, root vegetables of pretty much any kind - or subtract things that you're not super into. The crust of any pot pie is my favorite part, and this one with parmigiano reggiano cooked into it is particularly tasty - the cheese gives it extra depth and balances out the sweetness of the pumpkin and chestnuts. Also, don't be intimidated by the ingredient list length - this is actually a fairly simple recipe, although it does take a little bit of time. And it comes out of the oven looking super impressive.
HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!!
Ingredients for Vegetable Filling
1 small sugar pumpkin, cut into chunks and roasted (you can substitute butternut squash if you can't find pumpkin)
3 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 jar chestnuts, roughly chopped
2 cups stock
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of kale (about 4 cups chopped, stems removed)
4 garlic cloves, minced
generous salt and pepper
pinch of pepper flakes
dash of sage
dash of thyme
olive oil for sautéing
Ingredients for the Roux
1 generous pat of butter
2 tablespoons flour
stock, about 2 ladles full (taken from above)
salt, pepper
Ingredients for Crust
1 and 3/4 cup flour
1 stick of cold butter, diced
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (or, like, more. I always do more.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg for egg wash
Sea salt flakes
method
-Preheat oven to 350 F.
-Wash, peel, chop and roast the small sugar pumpkin on 350 F for 10 minutes, or until softened. When done, set aside and turn oven up to 375 F.
-Sauté the carrots, onion, garlic, and celery on medium heat with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
-Wash and chop the kale, removing the stems. Add to the sautéing vegetables, along with the broth (minus 2 ladle-fulls - see below), and let wilt on low.
-Make a roux: melt butter in a medium pot, then whisk in two tablespoons of flour, one at a time. Cook for a minute or two, and then add two ladle-fulls of stock – one ladle at a time - while whisking to incorporate. Cook for another few minutes.
-Mix roux in with remaining filling ingredients.
-Combine flour and butter for crust either with your hands (lightly rubbing the ingredients together with your fingers) or with a standing mixer, until the mixture resembles crumbs.
-Add egg yolks, salt, pepper, and parmigiano to flour/butter mixture and combine with a fork until it just comes together. (If the dough is still too crumbly, feel free to add a few tablespoons of ice cold water, 1 at a time.)
-Roll out dough on a well floured surface.
-Place filling in a large oven-proof dish, but don’t fill to the brim. You can also divide the filling amongst smaller, individual-sized bowls if you want. The world is your oyster, my dear.
-Place crust over the top the dish(es) and pinch edges around the rim to seal. Slash a few vents so that steam can escape.
-Brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
-Bake for 35 minutes on 375 F, or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling.