Pumpkin Pot Pie

This pumpkin pot pie with sausage and kale is a seasonal take on a much-loved classic: filled with fall flavor and baked to perfection in an Emile Henry pie dish, this pot pie is perfect for chilly Autumn nights. Feel free to experiment with the type of pumpkin used: it’s wonderful with any kind of cooking pumpkin, or winter squash like kabocha, butternut, or honeynut.

Ingredients-

For the pastry:

• 3 cups all purpose flour (400 g)
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter (cubed, 8 oz/226 g)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water with ice (roughly 130 g, as needed)
• pinch kosher salt
• One egg, beaten with a little water for egg wash

For the filling:

• 1 lb uncooked spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• One small pumpkin, peeled and diced into ½” pieces (about 4 heaping cups or 562g)
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced into ½” pieces (227g)
• 1 medium onion, diced finely (130g)
• 1 medium bunch of lacinato kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Fresh thyme, from about 5 sprigs
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg 
• 2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup flour 
• 4 cups chicken broth (946 ml)
• 1 cup milk (236 ml)

Directions:

Make the pastry:

1. Add the flour, salt, and cold butter cubes to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until combined. If using a stand mixer, mix on low to combine until the butter is broken into very small pieces. If mixing by hand, cut the butter in until it resembles coarse sand.
2. Add the apple cider vinegar and pulse or mix a few more times until combined.
3. With the food processor on low, slowly add the ice water, a drizzle at a time, until the dough just comes together. It should hold when pinched together, but should not be wet.
4. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and flatten into disks. This makes it easier to roll out when it’s time to bake.
5. Wrap each disk in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight until firm.
6. When you’re ready to bake, allow the dough to warm up for about 5 minutes at room temperature. To use, roll out on a floured surface and proceed according to the recipe.

Make the filling:

1. While the pie dough is chilling, make the filling. In a large heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven, brown the sausage meat in about 1tbsp neutral cooking oil (depending on how fatty your sausage is), until cooked through. Remove the sausage and place in a paper towel lined bowl to drain.
2. To the same pan, add another 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, and add your diced onion. Cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to sweat down, and then add the garlic. Cook for another few minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the diced pumpkin, parsnips, and fresh thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and stir well to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes to get the flavors intermingling, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the chopped kale and cook for another 2-3 minutes until wilted.
4. Scatter the ¼ flour over the cooking veggies, and stir well to make sure the flour is mixed in. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a simmer for about 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce has begun to thicken and the pumpkin and parsnips have softened. Add the milk and cook for another 2-3 minutes. If the sauce is still very runny, add another sprinkling of flour, a tablespoon at a time until it begins to thicken up a bit. Remove from heat and taste the filling to correct for salt and pepper. Allow to cool before using.

Assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. To assemble the pot pie, roll out each disk of pie dough to be about ¼” thin and a few inches larger than your Emile Henry Pie Dish. If you would like to make a lattice with the top piece of dough, cut the dough into your desired decoration.
2. Drape one rolled out piece of dough over a rolling pin, and carefully place into your dish, gently pressing it into place. Add the cooked filling, and then drape the second piece of pie dough over the top. Crimp the edges as desired. If using one whole piece of pie dough with no lattice, cut vent holes into the middle of the pastry top. Brush the pastry with egg wash.
3. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then drop the heat to 375°F and continue baking for 35-45 minutes, or until you can hear the filling bubbling, and the crust is a beautiful golden brown. If your crust is browning too quickly, tent it with tin foil or a pie crust shield. Serve hot.

Bon appétit!

Recipe by Marissa Feldman of @marissamakes__