Sweet Corn Pie, Hard-Boiled Hen Egg, Purple Celery, Green Leaf Lettuce, Confit Garlic, Calendula Flowers
This is yet another interpretation of another dish that I grew up eating in a Pennsylvania Dutch family. We would have this all throughout the summer. My parents would buy 100's of ears of corn all at one time, freezing or canning most of it for the winter. This pie was a summer staple in my household. And it was one of the few things that my mother and father both made. My dad's version had sliced hard-boiled eggs lining the bottom of the pan. For some crazy reason this summer was the first that I decided to make this pie. It has always been in the back of my mind. Whenever I saw that huge pile of ears at the market I would think about it but never thought to actually make a corn pie. I think maybe the trauma of having to shuck hundreds of ears of corn on my Aunt's farm had something to do with it. But I finally came to terms with this pent up emotions.
The actual pie I grew up eating was a normal sized pie. This one is a small version more appropriate for this forum, but just as delicious. The first step is to make the pie crust. Yes, that's right, I said "make" the pie crust. Buying a pre-made pie crust is just lazy and not worth the money. A little extra time spent will make the pie so much better. I use Thomas Keller's recipe from the Ad Hoc cookbook for making all of my pies.
While the pie dough chilled I prepared the filling. I pureed some of the corn kernels with raw cow's milk and then strained off all of the liquid. I sauteed onion and celery in butter and then added the corn milk, whisking until the liquid thickened up a bit. I chilled this completely then added fresh corn kernels.
I rolled the dough out to about a quarter inch thickness and line a ramekin with it, trimming the edges. I placed the filling inside and covered it with another layer of the dough, cutting a slit to allow steam out. I brushed the top with egg wash and sprinkled it with sea salt. I baked the pie, starting at 425 and then dropping to 375, til the crust was golden brown and the filling began bubbling.
I removed the pie from the ramekin and placed it on the plate. I garnished the plate with sliced hard-boiled eggs, calendula petals, purple celery and it's leaves and some lettuce hearts. I also spooned some of the reserved filling and sauteed red onion next to the pie along with the confit garlic cloves.
Product:
Sweet Corn - Buzby Farm
Raw Pastured Cow's Milk - Hillacres
Pastured Hen Egg - Hillacres
Purple Celery - Culton Organics
Calendula Flowers - My Garden
The actual pie I grew up eating was a normal sized pie. This one is a small version more appropriate for this forum, but just as delicious. The first step is to make the pie crust. Yes, that's right, I said "make" the pie crust. Buying a pre-made pie crust is just lazy and not worth the money. A little extra time spent will make the pie so much better. I use Thomas Keller's recipe from the Ad Hoc cookbook for making all of my pies.
While the pie dough chilled I prepared the filling. I pureed some of the corn kernels with raw cow's milk and then strained off all of the liquid. I sauteed onion and celery in butter and then added the corn milk, whisking until the liquid thickened up a bit. I chilled this completely then added fresh corn kernels.
I rolled the dough out to about a quarter inch thickness and line a ramekin with it, trimming the edges. I placed the filling inside and covered it with another layer of the dough, cutting a slit to allow steam out. I brushed the top with egg wash and sprinkled it with sea salt. I baked the pie, starting at 425 and then dropping to 375, til the crust was golden brown and the filling began bubbling.
I removed the pie from the ramekin and placed it on the plate. I garnished the plate with sliced hard-boiled eggs, calendula petals, purple celery and it's leaves and some lettuce hearts. I also spooned some of the reserved filling and sauteed red onion next to the pie along with the confit garlic cloves.
Product:
Sweet Corn - Buzby Farm
Raw Pastured Cow's Milk - Hillacres
Pastured Hen Egg - Hillacres
Purple Celery - Culton Organics
Calendula Flowers - My Garden