Recently my daughter and I hosted a brunch for our Mother/Daughter Book Club. The book we chose was called, The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and we thought it would be fun to have the brunch theme based on time period from the book which was during World War II.
According to Wikipedia, “Woolton pie, at first known as Lord Woolton pie, is a pastry dish of vegetables, widely served in Britain in the Second World War when rationing and shortages made other dishes hard to prepare. It was created at the Savoy Hotel in London by its then Maitre Chef de Cuisine, Francis Latry. It was one of a number of recipes commended to the British public by the Ministry of Food during the Second World War to enable a nutritious diet to be maintained despite shortages and rationing of many types of food, especially meat. It was named after Frederick Marquis, 1st Lord Woolton (1883–1964), who popularized the recipe after he became Minister of Food in 1940.”
While the traditional wartime recipe is rather bland I added a seasoning mix that I use in my favorite Chicken Pot Pie Recipe.
Here is the how I made the pie:
FOR THE FILLING:
- 2 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
- 2 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets
- 2 cups peeled and diced carrots
- 2 cups peeled and diced turnip
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
SPICE MIX:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon savory
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
PIE DOUGH:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 9 tablespoons cold butter diced
- 5 tablespoons ice-cold water
- Place diced butter in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Add it to the flour and pinch together.
- Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time stirring as you pour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough out.
- Cover the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
TOPPING:
- 1/4 cup chopped curly parsley
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400 Degrees.
- Place the chopped vegetables and spice mix into a large pot and just barely cover with water.
- Cover and bring the mixture to a boil, then cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain the veggies in a colander and cool.
- Place the filling in a pie dish and sprinkle the fresh parsley.
- Cover with the rolled-out pie dough and brush with a simple egg wash.
- Prick the pie crust to allow to vent.
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
I hope you enjoy our version of Woolton Pie!
Photography by: S.Wolfe Photography
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