Raised Cabbage Pie

If you are just going to have a quick supper, before or after you go out, it is nice to have something simple you can serve at room temperature, with a beer or a glass of wine and a salad. This is a pretty elegant alternative, I think, and not too fussy to make. It would make quite a classy picnic in better weather, and I intend to take wedges to work for lunch. It could easily be the major part of a party-ish lunch for guests, including vegetarians.

From Moscow, via Massachusetts, and adapted from Nick Malgieri's Baker's Tour, Pirog Kapustoi was fun to make, and I think it looks damn cute, too. NM notes that it can also be made with a flaky pastry, if you prefer, rather than the raised dough. I really like the raised dough with a savory pie, though. I've got my eye on another recipe from the same cookbook, which has a brioche-like dough, and a cheese/ham/pea filling. It's a little more of an undertaking, but I think I'll give it a try, too. If you would like to make this freeform cabbage pie, you will need:

Raised Crust

warm water one cup
dry yeast 2 1/2 tsp
unbleached APflour 3 cups
salt 1 tsp
unsalted butter, melted and cooled 3 tbsp

Filling
finely shredded cabbage-pref savoy 1 1/2 lbs
salt 1/2 tsp
unsalted butter 2 tbsps
1 clove garlic, minced
sugar 2 tsps
hard cooked eggs, chopped 2
tarragon, to taste

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment, and make the dough:

Pour the water into the bowl of an electric mixer, and whisk in the yeast. Add flour, salt and butter, and stir with a rubber spatula. Mix, with dough hook, on lowest speed for 2 minutes. Cover and let it rest 10 minutes. Then, mix on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, til smooth. Plop into a buttered bowl, and flip it to butter all sides. Cover and let it rise til doubled, about an hour.

Toss the cabbage with salt, and wring it out to get as much moisture out as possble. Melt butter, add cabbage, tarragon, garlic and sugar, and cook down, stirring until cabbage is wilted and reduced, and fairly soft. Cool. Fold in chopped eggs. Preheat oven to 400F.

Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll the dough to a 10" disk, handling as little as possible. If it is resistant, let it rest a bit before trying to extend it further. Transfer dough to parchment covered pan. Spread filling on dough, leaving an outside border of one inch. Grate fresh black pepper over all.

Now, roll out the 2nd half of the dough as you did the first. Brush the outer rim of the bottom crust with water. Fold the top crust in quarters. Set it over the filled bottom crust, with the point in the center of the filling, and unfold neatly. Press around the edges firmly, and roll both crusts in toward the center 1/2". Squash the edges together with a fork, to seal. Cut several vent holes in top crust. Brush all over with water, and bake about 30 minutes, until it is a nice golden color. Cool on a rack, and serve at room temperature.

I added the garlic and tarragon, which I love with cabbage, thinking that the seasoning in the original was a bit subtle for my taste. Even with these additions, this pie benefits from being served with a sharpish sauce, or something pickled. I served it with a sourcream/horseradish mixture; something mustardy would also be good.

Comments

[Peg Mastrianni]

This recipe is very similar to a delicious cabbage pie in one of my favorite older cookbooks - Vegetarian Epicure (vol. 1, I think - there were two) by Anna Thomas. As I remember, she used lots of dill and had a layer of cream cheese spread on the bottom crust before sliced hardcooked eggs and then sauteed cabbage and mushrooms were piled on. yummy.

[Clare]

Ooh that sounds yummy. As does the one Peg mentions. Any advice for what to do re the raised crust pastry if one doesn't happen to have an electric mixer. (I do have a Moulinex food processor if that would help.)

[Baking Soda]

I love these kind of pies, they are great for filling with everything that lurks in your fridge and needs to be rescued.

[robin good]

I love your new banner too.
This pie looks gooooooooood!
great blog... all together.
thanks for doing it!

[D. Hudak]

This looks like the cabbage pie I remember. My Grandmother made it with Love to be eaten
every Christmas Eve...a much loved tradition.
Thanks for posting. I will try it this year so my family can share in this tradition and treat.
I remember it covered with melted butter w/o egg and tarragon. Happy Holidays from NY.