Savory pies made with seasonal veggies a cold-weather treat

As we hunger for comfort foods in January, many of us think of that old classic: chicken pot pie.

I’ve never cared for it, likely because my mother had a taste for Swanson’s frozen ones, and I couldn’t stand the smell, nor the flavor. One of these days, I’ll try my hand at it, but I’ll use dark meat instead of the breast meat. The white meat of chicken takes on an unpleasant taste when it undergoes lengthy cooking; dark meat doesn’t.

For now, I’ve been thinking of other savory pies, as this is the perfect time for them. With many activities still on hold, there’s time to cook, baking warms the house and a full-size savory pie will last a few days if you’re cooking for just one or two. You can, if you like, make smaller pies using the recipes below and freeze them before they are cooked.

If you’re eating alone, I recommend enjoying a British novel and a glass of single malt Scotch with your savory pie, preferably by a roaring fire.

I’ve been making shepherd’s pie and cottage pie for decades, but it seems the names are evolving. The difference I have always understood is that in shepherd’s pie, the meat and vegetable mixture is covered with mashed potatoes; in cottage pie, the potatoes are thinly sliced and layered like the tiles of a cottage roof. Over recent years, I’ve noticed this explanation is beginning to vanish, in favor of the claim that shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb and cottage pie with ground beef.

I make another departure by using only fresh vegetables in season now and not the frozen carrots, peas and corn called for in many recipes. When I make cottage pie in the spring, I will use fresh peas and, if it’s late spring, I’ll add fresh corn, too. We almost always have excellent local carrots. You can add sweet potatoes and winter squash, too; just keep proportions the same.

English-style Cottage Pie

Makes 4 to 6 servings

½ lemon

1 pound (3 large) potatoes, such as German Butterball, washed and peeled

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into small dice

3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch or two of ground cinnamon

1 ½ pounds ground lamb

Black pepper in a mill

1 ½ cups meat stock (chicken, duck or beef)

1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

3 tablespoons butter, melted

6 ounces grated cheddar cheese

Fill a large bowl half full with water, squeeze in the juice of the half lemon and add the lemon, too. Set it aside.

Cut the potatoes into thin rounds and put them in the lemon water.

Fill a saucepan half full with water, season generously with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water reaches a rolling boil, use your hands to lift the potatoes out of the lemon water and transfer them to the saucepan. Simmer gently for about 8 minutes, until they have softened but are not fully tender. Working quickly, drain the potatoes and spread them over a clean tea towel.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a large saute pan set over medium-low heat, add the onion and saute until soft and fragrant, 12-15 minutes. Add the carrots and parsnips and saute until they start to soften, about 10 minutes more. Stir frequently and do not let the vegetables brown. Add the garlic, saute 2 minutes more, season with salt and stir in the cinnamon.

Add the lamb and use a fork to break it up as it cooks. Season with several turns of black pepper, add the stock and tomato paste and simmer until the stock is reduced by half. Add the parsley, taste and correct for salt and pepper. Set aside.

Put the potatoes in a medium bowl, pour the melted butter over, season with salt and pepper and turn the potatoes gently so they all are coated in butter.

Tip the meat mixture into an ovenproof baking dish that is about 3 inches deep. Set the potatoes on top, overlapping them slightly in a tile pattern. Scatter the cheese over the potatoes.

Set the baking dish on a baking sheet, set on the middle rack of the oven and cook until bubbly hot and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before enjoying.

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To make true steak and kidney pie, you need kidney, which isn’t all that easy to get. The best options are farmers market meat vendors, local butcheries and local markets with good meat departments. If you don’t see what you want, ask; almost anything can be ordered. Oliver’s sometimes has kidney available in their self-serve meat section. To save time, you can use a store-bought crust in place of the homemade crust.

Steak, Kidney and Mushroom Pie

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Pâté Brisée (recipe follows)

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, diced

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut in quarters

Kosher salt

¾ cup all-purpose flour

Black pepper in a mill

½ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

½ teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons dried and crushed thyme

1 pound beef or lamb kidney, cut into ½-inch dice

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into ½-inch strips

1 cup dry red wine or dark beer

2 cups beef stock, hot

First, make the Pate Brisée (see below).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the butter in a saute pan set over medium-low heat, add the onion and saute until soft and fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Season with salt.

While the onions and mushrooms cook, put the flour in a small paper bag. Season generously with black pepper and add the paprika, allspice, thyme and a few pinches of salt. Set aside.

Add the kidney to the pan with the onions and mushrooms, increase the heat to high and saute, tossing all the while, for 1-2 minutes, until the kidney just loses its raw look. Use a wide, flat spatula or spoon to transfer the kidney to a bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Put the sliced beef in the bag with the flour, shake vigorously and turn out into a colander or strainer. Shake off excess flour, add the meat to the pan and saute, turning continuously, until the beef just loses its raw color.

Transfer the beef mixture to a baking dish; a deep-dish pie plate is ideal.

Return the pan to the heat, add the wine or beer and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits that stick to the pan. Pour into the dish with the beef, add the beef or duck stock, cover the dish with aluminum foil and set on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is completely tender.

Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 425 degrees. Let the beef cool for about 15 minutes.

Scatter the kidney over the beef. Working quickly, position the pie crust on top, unfold it, crimp the edges, set it the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 12 -15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Pâté Brisée

Makes 1 10-inch pie crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

⅓ cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons ice water

Put the flour into a bowl, add the salt and mix with a fork.

Add the butter and, working quickly, combine with a pastry cutter or your fingers until you have an evenly crumbly mixture.

Make a well in the center, add 2 tablespoons of the water and stir quickly in a circular motion toward the outer edge of the bowl. If the mixture is still quite dry, sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of water.

Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

To roll and shape the dough, generously flour a pastry cloth or clean wooden work surface.

Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough from the center outward to form a circle about ⅛ inch thick.

Sprinkle the rolled dough with flour and gently fold it in half and then in half again. Set on a plate, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “California Home Cooking.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.