This take on a pot pie is as delicious as it is beautiful. I want to eat it every single day! And I would too, if it didn’t take so long to make. If you’re game for putting in some effort, you will be handsomely rewarded with a flavorful, comfortable, and impressive meal. The golden, crisp, and slightly tangy crust envelops a thick stew that is heavily studded with pancetta, white beans, and swiss chard. Cozy heaven, get me a spoon.
If you want to enjoy this glory bowl, start by making the crust. If you’re short on energy, you could certainly use a pre-made pie crust or frozen puff pastry, but this crust recipe is much more unique. It bakes up to be really flaky, perfectly dense and chewy, and full of tangy flavor. Alternatively, you could skip the crust completely and serve the stew with some crispy crostini. To make 4 servings, put 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 13 tablespoons of butter into a food processor. Pulse them until the flour forms fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a bowl.
To the food processor, add 6 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, and 1/4 cup cold water. Pulse them until they are combined. Pour the yogurt mixture over the flour crumbs, and stir them together until a dough forms. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or until you’re ready to use it.
Now, it’s time to make the pot pie filling. Drizzle some olive oil into a skillet, and brown 1 cup of diced pancetta until it is crispy and browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel to drain.
Dice 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 celery stalk, mince 2 garlic cloves, and add them to the skillet of pancetta drippings. Season them with 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and salt. Cook the vegetables until they are softened. While they cook, slice 4 cups of swiss chard leaves (save the stems for stock). Add the swiss chard to the skillet, and let it wilt. Taste the vegetables, and season them with salt and pepper. Transfer them to a side bowl.
In the skillet, melt 3.5 tablespoons of butter. Then, make a roux by whisking in 3.5 tablespoons of flour. Whisk constantly until the roux browns and begins to smell delicious. Then, whisk in 1/2 cup of chicken stock until it is completely absorbed. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of stock. Then, whisk in another 2.25 cups of stock. Let the stock simmer for about 10 minutes until it is nicely thickened.
Add all of the cooked vegetables, crisped pancetta, and 2 cups of rinsed white beans into the gravy. Taste the vegetable stew. Don’t let yourself have another taste or else you will never stop! Divide the stew into 4 oven-proof bowls, making sure that there is at least 1 inch of space between the stew and the tops of the bowls (if you over-fill the bowls, the stew will bubble out of the crusts).
Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Take the chilled dough out of the fridge, and divide it into fourths. Roll each piece of dough into a thin circle big enough to drape over the tops of your bowls. Rolling the cold dough can be pretty tough, but at least you’ll be burning off some of the butter you will soon be eating! In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg with a splash of water. Rub a little bit of the egg wash around the rims of your bowls, and then drape over the crusts. Squeeze the crusts to the edges of the bowls, and press any excess against the sides. Brush the tops of the crusts with the egg wash. Use a knife to cut slits in the dough to let steam escape.
Put the bowls on baking sheets, and bake them for about 30 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove the bowls from the oven, and let them cool slightly until the filling stops bubbling.
Carefully transfer the bowls to serving plates, and stick your spoon right in! They are so, so good, and very filling. I really want another. Really, really. Really. I hope you love them as much as we did!
This recipe is from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
Shopping list:
- Flour- 2 cups and 3.5 tablespoons
- Butter- 16.5 tablespoons
- Greek yogurt- 6 tablespoons
- White wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon
- Pancetta- 1 cup, diced
- Onion- 1
- Carrot- 1
- Celery- 1 stalk
- Garlic- 2 cloves
- Red pepper flakes- 1 teaspoon
- Swiss chard- 4 cups of sliced leaves
- White beans- 2 cups
- Chicken stock- 3.25 cups
- Egg- 1
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
