Savory Hand Pies with Three Fillings

Random thoughts as I played with more filling combinations for Savory Hand Pies and a Minty Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce.

Photo: Savory Sausage Hand Pie with a side of Minty Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce

More Savory Hand Pies? Well, why not? my Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies were a success (after tweaking the recipe and adding some lemon zest) and I was on a roll with some new filling combinations to try. Once again frozen pie dough made for a quick and easy baking session. 

Asparagus starred as a repeat ingredient, of course, since it was local and fresh. This time I severed the tips, halved each thick spear lengthwise and then cut them into short pieces. Tossed with oil and minced garlic, all of the pieces were sauted in a cast iron skillet until softened and lightly browned. Sprinkled with lemon zest they were tempting to nibble on "as is".

Caramelized onions should add a sweet/savory backnote to each of the three filling combinations. The thin slices of white onion cooked low and slow in a dash of oil and butter until lightly caramelized. Some recipes call for a finish of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, but this batch did not require any flavor boost.

Sweet Italian pork - crumbled, cooked and drained - joined the party as a savory meat option. Yum! a flavor-packed spicy sausage, asparagus and onion mixture would be perfect for a cool-weather Spring treat.
   

Sausage and kale pair well tastewise in any season, so a bowl of braised kale joined shredded cheeses and toasted pine nuts as the remaining filling choices. 

Left column: skillet roasted asparagus, caramelized onions pies topped with mozzarella.
Center column: braised kale, Italian sausage, caramelized onion pies topped with mozzarella.
Right column: all of the above ingredients plus lemon zest and pine nuts.

All three of the fillings rated high marks, though my personal favorite was the everything hand pie. I love my pizza slices loaded with ingredients and evidently prefer hand pies the same way. That said, next time I'll simplify the ingredient mix, experiment with new flavor combos, and make a sweet hand pie or two for RL to enjoy.   

The simple asparagus/caramelized onion filling surprised me with its overly sweet flavor punch. A quickly mixed faux tzatziki sauce tamed the sweetness, balancing sweet and savory with some light flavor pops. The same sauce boosted the appeal of the kale/sausage/onion filling.

...and what do you do with leftover spoonfuls of filling? I tossed it all into a ramekin for a delicious baked snack. Once again... Yum!

Minty Cucumber Sour Cream Sauce - faux Tzatziki

1/2 English cucumber, shredded and wrung dry in a tea towel

2 green onions, green and white parts minced

2 Tbs fresh mint leaves, minced

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 Tbs lemon juice

dashes of green Tabasco, to taste (optional)

Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies

It's Spring! and that means local asparagus is finally available. Grill it, roast it, steam it, or bake it; serve it plain or sauced with hollandaise. Mmmmm, I do love that vegetable during the few months it's available. An asparagus and mushroom galette spotted at a local bakery counter looked intriguing, so I purchased one as a taste treat. Gulp, $3.99 for a single-serving little pastry! 

The crust was crisp and flakey on top while the bottom tended toward soggy. The galette's generous mound of filling underperformed on taste, bland and lacking much flavor beyond the earthy essence of asparagus and mushrooms. Where was the punchy tang of goat cheese? "Hah!" I thought, "I could do this at home and pop that flavor."

Savory pies tempt me to indulge; sweet pies, not so much. What's more satisfying than a savory little homemade pie, it's flaky crust filled with seasonal vegetables and complementary seasonings? Answer: the same pie made with frozen pie crust dough. But that's just me, facing reality because I'm missing the requisite pie-crust making gene. No matter, a reliable red box of Pillsbury Pie Crusts had my back for this adventure.

Green onions, fresh parsley, dried tarragon, lemon peel and Parmesan cheese joined the basic filling ingredients of asparagus, mushrooms and feta cheese. Sour cream plus one egg added a moist binder to the mix. One circle of pie crust yielded four irregular squares, and the Hand Pie adventure was ready to roll.

The short version of the recipe is:
       Cook down the mushrooms
       Soften the asparagus
       Combine the filling ingredients
       Fill dough squares, shape, add egg wash for shine
       Bake at 400 F until golden brown

The first hand pies emerged from the oven with light, crisp crusts and mildly seasoned filling, an improvement over that purchased galette, but still not quite there flavorwise. Neighbor Marcie, recruited as a taste tester, suggested adding lemon zest, an acidic element to better balance the heavier mushroom and asparagus. Yes! swapping a lot of lemon zest for a little lemon powder made a subtle but noticeable difference in the second batch. Thanks, Marcie. Now I'm eager to play with some other Spring ingredients and flavorings in more hand pie or galette experiments. Sigh, elastic waistbands could become necessary wardrobe adjustments.

Asparagus Mushroom Hand Pies

Yields 4 individual hand pies

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned & thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon
5-6 asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
6 green onions, green and white parts, chopped
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon powdered lemon peel grated zest of 1 lemon 
1 premade pie crust (Pillsbury recommended)
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) goat cheese ( Greek feta), crumbled
beaten whole egg wash to brush dough
2 Tablespoons fresh Parmesan shreds

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet and saute the mushrooms until they brown. Add the pepper, vinegar and tarragon; cook until all liquid evaporates. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl to cool.

Snap off & discard the woody stalk end of each asparagus spear. Keep the tender heads intact and chop the rest of the stalks into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe container with a Tablespoon of water; cover and nuke for 1 minute or until barely tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl use a fork to whisk together the egg and sour cream. Add the green onions, parsley and lemon zest; stir to combine. Add the cooled mushrooms and asparagus. Gently stir to combine, coating all ingredients with the eggy sour cream.

Unroll a single piecrust sheet onto a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1/8-inch thickness (if necessary) and cut into four squares, roughly 5.5-inches per side. (Use a straightedge if neatness matters to you - I went irregular and rustic).

Onto each pastry square place 1/4 of the filling mixture, typically a mounded 1/2 cup. Top each pie with 1 Tablespoon goat cheese crumbles. Fold each pastry corner onto the center of the filling, keeping the tips apart, and crimp the outside edges slightly. Brush the exposed dough lightly with some beaten egg wash and sprinkle with 1/2 Tablespoon fresh Parmesan shreds.

Place the hand pies on a silpat or parchment-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the dough. Preheat the oven to 400 F while the pies chill.

To bake, place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated 400 F oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet after 10 minutes to encourage even browning. Remove the hand pies to a wire baking rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Onion Biscuits

It's true, I have a weakness for boules… baguettes… breadsticks… biscuits… rolls... and most other savory breadlike things.  Who can resist any of these baked goods when they are homemade and fresh from the oven? As the tantalizing aroma fills the kitchen, its easy to anticipate the taste, the crunch, the soft, airy interior. I've been known to scorch my mouth sampling a biscuit as soon as it left the oven. No drama today, just a fine batch of Green Onion Drop Biscuits, a new-to-me recipe that is worth repeating.

For years Parmesan Puffs have been my "go to" favorite for savory, one-bite biscuits, all crunchy on the outside with soft and melty interiors. They are dangerously addictive and never last long enough to worry about leftovers. But, they weren't quite what I needed this week. Today's Green Onion Drop Biscuits came about from a need to pair with - well, I'll fill that in in my next post, an SRC Reveal on Monday next. Just know that this recipe produces a tasty savory biscuit with a firmer interior, a crumb that can stand up to dunking or hold a moist filling. Check back in a few days to see them put to good use… the ones we didn't devour today. 

Update: Curried Chicken Salad made a delicious filling for mini versions of these Green Onion Drop Biscuits. The biscuits will be just the thing to serve with a steaming bowl of borscht tomorrow; I'll add a scattering of dill weed and skip the hot sauce in the dough. 

Green Onion Drop Biscuits

approx 6 medium biscuits 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, grated or cut into small pieces

1/4 cup minced green onion, green and white parts

1/3 cup plain yogurt

several dashes of your favorite hot sauce, optional (I used Cajun Sunshine)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Use a sieve and sift together into a bowl the first 5 ingredients, flour to white pepper. 
3. Add the butter and incorporate until you have a mealy texture.
4. Stir in the green onion, yogurt and hot sauce if you are using;  mix just enough to have the soft and sticky dough just comes together.
5. Divide the dough into 6 portions and drop by heaping spoonfuls onto a silpat-covered baking sheet.
6. Bake on the middle shelf of a preheated 425 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden brown. (Note: If you choose to make 9-10 smaller biscuits, they will require much less oven time) Be careful not to over bake or the biscuits will be rock hard and dry after they cool. Eat while still warm to enjoy them at their best.