On a cold dark night, nothing beats a warm succulent potpie with fresh biscuits just out of the oven. For this potpie, let the oven roast the vegetables while you prepare the other ingredients. While the biscuits are baking on top of the pie, set the table and make a crisp, cool salad. Light some candles and sit down to a cozy dinner reminiscent of days gone by.
The root vegetables do not need to be measured in exact amounts, and you can use more of one than another, according to the amount you have on hand or your own preferences. Aim for about 7 cups prepped.
You can prepare the vegetable filling ahead of time. When the filling is in the baking dish, cover it and refrigerate. Then, about 45 minutes before you want to eat, put the dish of filling into a 425°F oven and make the biscuit batter. When the filling is hot and bubbling, about 25 minutes, spoon on the biscuit batter and bake until the biscuits are golden brown.
Serves 6
Time: about 1 hour 45 minutes
1 head garlic
1 cup French lentils, rinsed*
3 cups water
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 medium carrot, sliced (1 heaping cup)
1 small parsnip, sliced (1 heaping cup)
1 small rutabaga, cut into chunks (1 heaping cup)
1 small celeriac, cut into chunks (1 heaping cup)
1 medium sweet potato, cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 cups chopped kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unbleached white all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable stock or water (see Note)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2½ cups unbleached white all-purpose flour (or up to half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons minced scallions
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1½ cups buttermilk
*Brown lentils aren’t as pretty, but if you have them on hand, go ahead and use them.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Have ready two baking pans or one large baking sheet for roasting the vegetables, and for the potpie, a deep 10-inch pie plate or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Separate and peel the garlic cloves.
Place the lentils in a small pot with the water, a few cloves of garlic, 1 bay leaf, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped rosemary. Simmer on low heat until the lentils are al dente and still maintain their shape, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Peel the root vegetables and cut into bite-size (1- to 1½-inch) chunks. In a bowl, toss the carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, and most of the remaining garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, about ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons of the rosemary. Put the vegetables into one of the baking pans or on half of the baking sheet. Cover with aluminum foil.
In the same bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, about ¼ teaspoon salt, a few red pepper flakes, the remaining garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon of rosemary. Place in the second baking pan or on the other half of the baking sheet (don’t cover).
Bake the root vegetables and the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and stir the vegetables and sweet potatoes. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes more, until easily pierced with a fork. When you take the roasted vegetables out of the oven, reduce the temperature to 425°F.
While the vegetables roast, cook the onions and kale and make the roux.
In a skillet on medium heat, cook the onions in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a little salt until translucent. Stir in the kale. Add a little water, cover, and steam until the kale has softened, but is still bright green. Remove from the heat and set aside uncovered.
Make the roux: In a small heavy skillet, heat the olive oil and stir in the flour. Whisk for about 30 seconds and add the stock, soy sauce, and rosemary. Simmer until the sauce thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Remove from the heat.
Toss the roasted root vegetables and sweet potatoes with the kale and onions and the drained lentils. Gently fold in the roux. Pour the filling into the pie plate or baking dish and bake until hot and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the biscuits: Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work in the butter until thoroughly distributed and crumbly. Stir in the scallions and thyme. Stir in the buttermilk just until well incorporated.
When the filling is bubbling hot, remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon 6 large dollops of the biscuit batter on top of the vegetables. Return to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the biscuits are cooked through and golden brown on top. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
NOTE: You can make stock for the roux with the trimmings from the vegetables. While the vegetables are roasting, in a small covered pot, simmer the trimmings in water to cover.
Some applesauce or a simple salad is all you really need with this hearty potpie: however, Baby Arugula Salad with Crusted Chèvre and Pears is a delicious match.