Savory Three Mushroom & Kale Pie

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Today would be my father’s 69th birthday. Actually, I guess it still is, even though he died at 45. But – one of my dad’s favorite foods was a mushroom pie my mother would make for him. It is a savory pie – not sweet. I only point this out because, after my avocado ice cream recipe, my boyfriend (Miles) was genuinely freaked out that I was going to make a dessert out of mushrooms. He hates mushrooms. But Miles isn’t here to eat dinner and I wanted to make this pie as a little shout out to my father.

So – I pulled out the old index card with my mother’s recipe on it & updated it a bit & this recipe is the result. It is kinda tricky to photograph because the mushrooms can begin to look meaty but, trust me, if you like mushrooms, you will like this pie!

Also – this recipe calls for a roux of flour & butter but I happened to have leftover white gravy from my smashed baked potato recipe so I just used that!

Savory Three Mushroom & Kale Pie

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry crust

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

16 TBS ice cold (even frozen) butter – or vegan alternative

1/4 cup or more of ice water

For the three mushroom & kale pie

1 1/2 – 2 lbs mixed mushrooms (I used white & oyster & shitake) – chopped

1/2 head kale

3 celery stalks – chopped

1 small onion – diced finely

1 tsp fresh thyme

olive oil

S&P

1 egg white whisked to glaze the crust (optional)

For the roux

1 cup milk – or vegan alternative

4 TBS butter – or vegan alternative

4 TBS flour

1 DEEP pie pan

DIRECTIONS

For the pastry crust

Put the flour, salt & sugar in a food processor. Pulse to blend. Then, 1 TBS at a time, pulse in the cold butter until it is all incorporated. Add a few TBS water & pulse until little balls of dough begin to form & it falls away from the bowl of the processor.

Remove from the bowl & press into two balls – one a tad larger than the other. Press flat, wrap in plastic wrap & chill for about an hour. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before you roll it out.

For the three mushroom & kale savory pie

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the large ribs from the kale & tear the leaves into pieces.

Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute the kale for a few minutes & be sure it all becomes a little oiled & turns bright green. Add about 1 TBS water, cover & steam for another few minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

In the same pan, add another 1-2 TBS olive oil & saute the mushrooms, celery, onion & thyme with some S&P over high heat. Saute until everything softens & the mushrooms reduce in size quite a bit – 5 minutes or more. Set aside.

Heat the butter in a stock pot & add the flour. Whisk them together & heat for a minute or two. Add the milk 1/4 cup at a time & whisk to incorporate it. When it thickens repeat with the rest of the milk. It should have the consistency of a thick chowder. Add S&P to taste. Add to the mushrooms & stir to thoroughly combine.

Roll you dough out large enough to fit your pie pan & line the pan with one of your crusts.

Layer the kale in there & then the mushroom mix.

Put the other crust on top. I like a THICK crust at the edges so – I folded the top over the bottom & tucked it in all around (you can see how thick it was at the edges in the pics). You might prefer to cut away the excess dough & press the edges to seal. This is only a matter of personal preference. Pinch the edges into waves or use a fork to press the seal tight. Poke some vent holes in the top of your pie.

If you like – you can whisk an egg white & brush the egg wash over the top of the crust. It helps add a bit of shine & aids in the browning but is completely unnecessary. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the crust is the color you like. Remove from the oven & allow to settle for about 10 minutes before cutting in. Serve with a nice salad & a box of wine & you are set for the night!