In mathematics, today is the annual celebration of all things Pi, the Greek letter that represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference (the distance around) to its diameter (the line across its widest point), which numerically is stated as 3.14159. This is an approximate number, not exact; the beauty of Pi is that is goes on and on, almost touching infinity.
Not being a whiz at mathematics, I’m not the best person to attempt a description on the connections of Pi to how the universe works, or to explain why this is a very big deal to many people. But when I realized that Pi Day shares the same week as St. Patty’s Day (March 17) the culinarian in me couldn’t resist turning Pi into Pie … as in Irish versions of pies for this Friday’s supper. Then the musician in me composed a few lines of “When Irish Pies Are Smiling”… but that’s another story.
While many celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef and cabbage (which I’m told is not traditional in Ireland) there are various pies associated with “real” Irish dishes. This includes a skillet pot pie called cock-a-leekie, which features chicken, potatoes and leeks. The following recipe from “101 One Dish Dinners” by Andrea Chesman makes 4 servings. To save time, you can use refrigerated pie dough instead of making the crust part of the recipe.
Cock-a-leekie skillet potpie
Crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water Milk
In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 5 tablespoons ice water to moisten dough; mix lightly to form a ball. Add a little more water, a few drops at a time, if dough won’t hold together. Flatten into a disk, cover and refrigerate while you prepare filling.
Filling:
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 to 3 leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced (about 3 cups)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Boil potatoes in salted water to cover until just tender, about 5 minutes; drain and set aside. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high; saute chicken and leeks until chicken is white and firm, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in carrots, peas, bell pepper and potatoes. In a small bowl, stir 2 tablespoons of broth and the cornstarch to make a smooth paste; set aside. Add remaining broth to skillet; bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture; return to a boil and cook about a minute, until thick and clear. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon of the dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper; add more dill if desired.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to form a circle at least 2 inches larger than skillet. Cut out a circle at least 1 inch larger than skillet; fit pastry over filling in skillet and turn excess dough under, fluting edges. Any extra dough can be used to make decorative cutouts for top of pie; moisten with milk and firmly attach to crust. Cut holes in crust for steam to escape. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
Another popular Irish tradition, shepherd’s pie, was originally created to use up leftovers. It is usually composed of ground or diced lamb or mutton, mixed with gravy, then topped with mashed potatoes and baked until hot and crusty on top. No pie dough is used. In America, ground beef is most often used instead of lamb or mutton; peas, corn, carrots, and onions are added as desired. This is referred to as cottage pie. Here is one recipe for each version.
Real English shepherd’s pie
Recipe courtesy of Cooks.com; it did not specify the number of servings; probably 4.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 large carrot, diced
1 pound lamb, minced
1 beef stock cube
1 pound chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons tomato puree
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 pounds potatoes
1 stick butter
Heat the olive oil in a pan; add onion, garlic and carrot. Cook until soft. Add lamb and beef stock cube; cook until meat is brown and shows a crumbly texture. Stir in tomatoes and puree, then flour. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Meanwhile, peel and chop potatoes; boil until soft. Drain potatoes and mash with the butter plus salt and pepper to taste. Put filling into a deep baking dish, top with mashed potatoes, and put under broiler until top is brown and crisp. Put melted cheese on top if desired; serve hot.
Shepherd’s (cottage) pie
Leftover cooked beef (maybe that corned beef you decided to make anyway?) goes into this version. Recipe from “Irish Heritage Cookbook;” makes 4 servings.
1 cup diced raw or cooked carrots
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
3 cups diced cooked beef
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup beef gravy
2 cups mashed potatoes at room temperature
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Cook carrots in boiling salted water if raw; drain and set aside. Cook onion in boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8-cup ovenproof casserole, combine vegetables, beef, salt and pepper. In a small saucepan, heat gravy over low heat; pour over meat and vegetables. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Pipe or spoon mashed potatoes over mixture in dish. In a small bowl, beat egg and milk; brush over potatoes. Return to oven for 10 minutes, then place under broiler to brown potatoes about 5 minutes. Serve hot.