There’s something fun and easy to old-fashioned cooking in cast iron, such as this savory pie made in a cast iron skillet and topped with puff pastry. Savory pies were far more popular in the early part of the last century than they are today. They are waiting to be rediscovered. This recipe is not a traditional dish, but just something to hit the spot on a cold night.
This utterly delicious, and admittedly unusual, meat pie is made with four kinds of meat: lamb, beef, chicken, and ham seasoned with a little cinnamon and then covered with an omelet and puff pastry before going into the oven. It’s nicely accompanied with a tomato, endive, red onion, watercress and arugula salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- ½ pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- ½ pound boneless beef chuck or London broil, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt and more as needed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and more as needed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and more as needed
- Water as needed
- ½ pound cooked ham, cubed
- 1 cup (1/4 pound) frozen edamame beans (soybeans) or lima beans
- ¾ cup (1/4 pound) frozen peas
- 4 large eggs
- ½ pound frozen puff pastry, defrosted according to package instructions
- Preheat the oven to 385 degrees F.
- Put the lamb, beef, and chicken thighs in a large cast iron skillet with the onion, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and mix well. Add the butter, turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and cook until a bit evaporated and saucy, about 7 minutes. Add another 1 cup of water and cook again until a bit evaporated and saucy, about 7 minutes. Add the ham, edamame, and peas and continue cooking, stirring, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs with some black pepper, a pinch of cinnamon, and some salt. Pour the eggs into the skillet with the other food, cover, and cook until it sets but the top is still a bit runny, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat off.
- Roll out the puff pastry large enough to cover the skillet. Lay the sheet of puff pastry over the skillet, pinching and crimping to the edge of the skillet so the pastry doesn’t contract. Cut out heart-shaped pieces with the excess dough and arrange them attractively on top of the pie. Bake the pie until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove, let rest 5 minutes, then serve.
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This recipe to me is a rustic looking pie, I really like the lovely golden crust . As mentioned it is unusual that four types of meat have been used. I like the use of lima beans and peas which provide flavor, texture and color to the pie.