Category: Eats

Hi Everyone–I’m back after a whirlwind couple of weeks–cookoff madness but more on that later. I went to the world headquarters of Cape Ann Pies on Rockport last week to visit with all around nice guy and amazing baker/cook Jerry Ryan.

Apologies right off the bat here for lack of pictures in this post but my pics and myself are separated at this very moment and I cannot access them. Will add the pics tomorrow but wanted to get this recipe out for today as the show is airing on Cape Ann TV tonight at 8:30. Watch the show–Jerry is full of helpful hints to make pie making much easier and take the mystery out of making your own crust.

When I tell you that the afternoon slipped by like it was five minutes, I am not exaggerating. Jerry and I could have talked about pie crust, baking and quick breads until sunset for sure. He is very knowledgable about baking and cooking general and I advise you to make this savory salmon pie asap. His crust recipe is here too–a bonus for all of us–and we are so lucky to have him and his Cape Ann Pies in our community.

Salmon and dilled potato pie

This recipe is for a 10” deep dish pie. Serves at least 8 if you slice it into 8 generous slices.

Pie Dough — top and bottom crusts

White flour 2 cups, gently sweeped (11 ounces)

Salt 1 tsp

Sugar, white granulated ¼ cup (about 2 ounces)

Butter, cubed, chilled 8 ounces (two sticks)

Water, chilled 5 ounces (maybe. Depends on many factors)

 Filling—for a deep 10” glass pie plate.

Salmon– 1.5 lbs fish

Potatoes, red, par boiled and cubed 12 ounces (about 1.5 cups)

White onion, rough chopped

Half a medium sized onion

Celery, rough chopped About 1.5 cups

Carrots, peeled, rough chopped About 1 cup

Garlic, minced 1 tablespoon

Thyme 1 teaspoon

Dill 1 teaspoon

Salt 1 teaspoon (maybe more to suit your taste)

Pepper ½ teaspoon

Olive oil 2 tablespoons (at least)

Water 2 cups

Chicken stock 12 -14 ounces

Whole pepper corns 4

Bay leaf 1 or 2

Make the pie dough crusts first if you’d like. Or not. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and dump it on a clean surface. With the tips of your fingers, press the pieces of butter down and away, creating flakes. Do this over and Over until your fingers hurt. Touch the butter as little as possible. Once the butter is mixed in and you’ve got flakes and small bits of butter/flour, it’s time to add water.

Create a depression in the center of the dough pile and add the water to this depression. Now you’ve got a pool. Mix the dry ingredients a little at a time to this very cold water. Add a tablespoon of water at a time if you need to bring the dough together. Mix just enough so the dough and hold together relatively well. It’s ok if there’s some dry flour.

Cut the ball of dough in to two halves and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Make the Filling Bring water, bay leaf, crushed whole pepper corns, (and a wedge of lemon if you’d like) to a simmer. Add salmon for maybe 2 minutes at a simmer. Remove and dry. Save 1 cup fish water for the filling.

Add olive oil to another pan. Heat the oil. Add carrots, celery. Let them cook awhile till you can smell them. Add the garlic and the dill, thyme, salt, pepper. Let cook until everything is soft. Don’t burn the garlic.

Add the potatoes and keep cooking. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup fish stock and the salmon. Mix it all together and cook. Add more liquid if you’d like. Cook and then cool completely before filling pie.

Prepare Pie

Take out the dough and roll a top and bottom crust. Place one dough in the pie plate (best to use glass) and fill this with the fish and dilled potato filling. Cover with the second crust and crimp and make it look nice. Brush with egg white.

Place in pre-heated 350 oven for one hour. Check the bottom of the pie to make sure it’s browned. Add more cooking time if necessary. Maybe lower the oven temp 25 degrees and more to lowest rack. Remove. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

This was one of the most delicious savory pies I have ever tasted in my whole life and I had to restrain myself from eating more than one piece…..