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Creamy Ham and Potato Pies

Source of Recipe

From "Emeril's Potluck" by Emeril Lagasse


Recipe Introduction

"Upon tasting this dish, one of my friends exclaimed, 'Wow! This is the type of thing you should eat after a day of sledding.' Ham and potatoes are such a natural combination; topping them with Gruy�re and Parmesan cheeses puts this through the roof. This tastes just as good hot from the oven as at room temperature. Bake the piecrusts before starting the recipe."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 recipes Savory Piecrust (recipe follows), blind baked
◦ 2 � cups milk
◦ 2 cups water
◦ 1 � teaspoons salt
◦ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
◦ 2 bay leaves
◦ 3 pounds russet potatoes (7 medium), peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise just before cooking
◦ 6 ounces ham, cubed
◦ 1 � cups heavy cream
◦ 1 cup grated Gruy�re cheese
◦ 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
◦ 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
◦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
◦ � teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Prepare the piecrusts. Roll out the two disks of dough and fit them into 9-inch pie pans. Crimp the edges. Refrigerate the piecrusts for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350� F. Line the piecrusts with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill each with pie weights. Bake until the crusts just set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove weights. Allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350� F.

Combine the milk, water, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, and bay leaves in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture is hot, add the potatoes and gently stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes. Drain the potatoes (the cooking liquid may be reserved to form the base of a soup).

Line each of the baked piecrusts with half of the potatoes. Cover the potatoes with the cubed ham. Pour � cup cream on top of the potatoes in each pie. Sprinkle � cup Gruy�re and � cup Parmesan on top of the cream in each pie. Arrange 1 tablespoon butter on top of the cheese in each pie. Arrange the remaining half of the potatoes on top of the creamy mixture. Sprinkle � teaspoon thyme on top of the potatoes in each pie. Pour � cup of the remaining cream over each pie. Dot each pie with 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter. Sprinkle � cup Gruy�re and � cup Parmesan on top of each pie. Sprinkle each pie with � teaspoon salt and � teaspoon black pepper.

Bake the pies until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Makes two 9-inch pies
(8 to 10 servings)






❧ Savory Piecrust:

"Lots of folks are scared easily when it comes to making piecrust. Trust me�it's not difficult. The trick is not to overwork the dough. And I'll it like it is�with a little practice, as with everything else, you'll become a pro in no time."

◦ 1 � cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into �-inch pieces
◦ 2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
◦ 3 tablespoons ice water

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas. Work the ice water into the mixture with your fingers until the dough just comes together; be careful not to overmix. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Makes one 9- or 10-inch piecrust