Filling
Pie may start with the crust, but in the end, it’s all about what’s inside. In stark contrast to the short list of ingredients for dough, we can fill a pie with almost anything.
Whether it’s sweet or savory, veggie or meat, fruit or custard, the most important consideration when creating a pie filling is consistency. We’re not trying to fill a bread bowl with clam chowder.
On the other hand, a filling doesn’t have to be completely solid - a little “molten flow” is nice. Think about how the filling will behave after cooling and reheating: it’s always thicker.
Thickeners. Most fillings require a binding agent. My default is all-purpose flour (since we’re already using it for the crust). For a classic covered apple pie, I incorporate flour into the filling and, before covering it, distribute little cubes of butter across the top. As the butter melts, it combines with the flour, acting like a roux. Cornstarch is another fine option.
How much thickener? It depends on the filling. High pectin fruits like apple and quince thicken more on their own. Low pectin fruits like stone fruit and berries require more. For savory pies, consider the filling’s sauciness relative to any natural starches. Potatoes and beans deliver thickening power. For a standard pie plate, ¼ cup thickener is a good baseline.
Cooking first. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Speaking very broadly, precook savory fillings and bake fruit fillings from raw. While we don’t often precook our fruit, premixing and allowing the filling to macerate for a few hours helps create cohesion. Savory pies are often dense, like brothless stews. Precooking mitigates problems with undercooked proteins (and sturdy vegetables). This week we’re making a wild mushroom pie. Recipe drops on Friday.
Mystery filling. Years ago, back in Chicago, long before I took an active interest in food, my friend Jenny made a corn, tomato, and cheddar pie. It blew my mind. Until that moment, the only savory pie in my universe was chicken pot pie - the kind you buy frozen in a little box.
Sometimes one dish unlocks a pathway. One experience reveals a constellation where before had only been a big mess of sparkly dots. Being a good cook isn’t just practice and herculean effort. It’s also enjoying food, trying new dishes, and relaxing enough to delight in surprise.
So many cooks beat themselves up for not being perfect. But where’s the fun if we always know how the food is gonna turn out? It’s from the unexpected that we learn the things worth knowing.
Merry Christmas,
Sten and Mac
Chef Snacks
Cooking Tip
Finish the top crust with granulated sugar. When making a double-crust pie, after applying the egg wash, use a spoon to dust the top crust with sugar (or a sugar-spice mixture). Your pie will sparkle like Edward Cullen. This applies to things like muffins and quickbreads, too.
Double-Crust Fruit Pie Filling Template
Use what you have on hand. Experiment! Build the filling from five ingredient categories.
Fruit. A standard 9-inch pie plate holds about 6 cups of fruit. After slicing the fruit to size, use the empty plate itself to measure. Fill it level, as everything will collapse a bit after baking. A mixture of 2 different fruits is fun for textural variation.
Sugar. Start with ½ cup sugar (and up to about 1 cup). Substituting a portion of brown sugar is nice. Liquid sugars like honey are fun, too, but make sure to account for the additional liquid when adding thickener.
Salt. 1-2 pinches is essential. Nothing brings out sweetness like a little salt.
Spices and supporting flavors. Less is more. Choose one or two things. The fruit is the star of the show. Start with ½ or ¼ teaspoon of powerful spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Herbs can offer a fresh contrast (start with a few sprigs). Lemon juice is a great addition (start with half a lemon). Be judicious with extracts and alcohols.
Thickener. Add thickener after the taste is there. Always be tasting! Here’s a little chart for different pectin levels. If you thicken with flour, remember that it requires butter.
Good luck! Feel free to shoot us a message if you have questions!
