Pie

About a month ago, I started speculating about the possibility of a savory apple pie. This weekend, I finally got around to making one. My arbitrarily determined requirements held that the predominant ingredient in the filling needed to be apple and that the pie needed to include some traditional apple-pie flavorings.

I didn't do anything fancy with the pie crust. Andrew Hammond suggested making the pie crust with vodka instead of water. I didn't have vodka on hand, but considered rum, thinking the flavor would complement the apples. In the end, though, I went with a basic crust. The crust wasn't going to be the emphasis here. This was more a proof of concept. We can get fancy later.

The filling was composed of:

• Four apples
• About five ounces of homemade chicken sausage that I had frozen (leftover from making )
• About six ounces of Saga Blue Brie
• Maybe a quarter cup of crushed pecans
• About a cup of caramelized onions
• Kosher salt, a bit of cinnamon, some nutmeg, allspice, parsley, and cumin

I browned the sausage first, both because I wanted to ensure it would cook and because I wanted a bit of malliard action going on.

In the meantime, I caramelized onions and blind-baked the pie crust. I need pie weights. I've been hacking it with small ceramic thingies I happen to have lying around (like the pestle that Angela made me), but we have a kiln and porcelain. I should just make myself some pie weights.

The pie assembly was pretty straightforward. I alternated layers like so:

• A layer of apples
• A layer of caramelized onion
• A layer of cheese
• A layer of apples
• A layer of chicken sausage
• A layer of (1/3 of the) caramelized onions, the pecans, and some chopped apples
• A layer of apples

For the top "crust" I made a lattice of swiss cheese slices.

I actually par-baked it (without the swiss) on Friday and then cooked it for real (with the lattice) on Saturday. If you wanted to do it in one sitting, I'd recommend cooking it at 375F for about 15 minutes without the lattice, adding the lattice and returning it to the oven (lowered to 350) for about 40 more minutes.

The result?

It was really good.

• Still no apples. I went to the store yesterday, but forgot them. I do, however, have a bag of frozen blueberries. According to Foodpairing, blueberries have chemical components of flavor which should cause them to match well with a variety of savory foods (cooked chicken, carrots, camembert, green tea)... how brave am I feeling today?
• Yesterday I got my package of Taza chocolate prize winnings from Jason over at Clever Food. He sent me an extra bag of chocolate nibs (described as "little pieces of roasted cacao bean enveloped in a thick layer of Taza Chocolate"). I haven't actually tried them yet - I'm practicing with the willpower. Taza seems like an awesome company, by the way. Their chocolate is all organic and stone ground, and they engage in direct trade with their farmers.
• This blog has apparently won an Honest Award. Doc, who awarded it to me, clearly meant well, and I am flattered. I'm not going to continue this thing, though, since it is much like a chain letter, designed to grow exponentially without end.

I've been thinking about pie lately. Actually, I've been thinking about baking lately (and how I should do more of it). Pies seem like one of the easiest sorts of baking to me in that they seem likely to be more amenable to improvisation.

So. Pie.

Since I'm contrary, I immediately want to subvert the pie-paradigm and make a savory pie.

"Aha," you say, thinking you have caught me in a contradiction. "Savory pies are completely ordinary. In fact, I love a good chicken pot pie."

I shake my head. You didn't let me finish. I want to make a savory pie... a savory apple pie.

Why not? Apples work well with onions and cheese. Apple pie is even served with cheddar some places.

I'm thinking an apple pie with caramelized onions and gruyere would be practically normal. I might need to make something stranger. (I also need to buy some apples.)

Ideas?

Apple Pi image by Foxtongue

http://www.piday.org/

Image by Kai HendryI know several people who consider dulce de leche to be the most sinfully delicious substance on earth.

I may or may not be one of them.