This design is inspired by Portuguese buildings adorned with azulejos, intricately painted tile work that sparks a thousand daydreams with its colorful allure. I vividly recall wandering the streets of Porto, spellbound and wondering: (1) if there was a limit to how many pastéis de natas one can consume in a day and (2) how to return as a tile painter in my next life. And in the magical ways of dreams-turned-reality, here I am a decade later, crafting tile work of my own after all; a pursuit at times charmed and at other times intensely toilsome, but always worthtile.
1 disk Carrot Pie Dough
2 disks Spinach Pie Dough with poppy seeds
MUSHROOM LEEK FILLING
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
5 cups (24 ounces/681 grams) cremini mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch slices
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 large gold potato, peeled and chopped
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 large leeks (1 pound/454 grams), light green and white parts only, rinsed well and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
PORTUGUESE TILE DESIGN NEEDS
Parchment paper
1½ × 1-inch rectangle cutter
Small bowl of water
Pastry brush
Paring knife
1. On a floured surface, roll one disk of carrot dough into a 13-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it onto a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and place the dough in the refrigerator to chill.
3. Roll one disk of spinach poppy seed dough into a 12-inch square. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using a rectangle cutter, punch out at least 40 shapes. Remove the dough scraps to bake as cookies or to re-roll once more for another design.
4. Using one corner of the rectangle cutter, punch out an isosceles right triangle along one of the rectangle’s short edges, then use a paring knife to cut down the middle, creating two pairs of mirror-image shapes, a right-angle trapezoid, and a triangle in each pair. Tap the cutter and paring knife in flour to prevent sticking.
5. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove the rolled carrot dough and the spinach shapes from the refrigerator. Lay a ruler horizontally across the center of the carrot dough and lightly brush water on a small section starting from the left. Line a short edge of a spinach right triangle against the ruler with its hypotenuse facing left. Lay a quadrilateral next with its longest edge facing right and pointy end touching the ruler. Continue laying an entire row of spinach pieces, alternating between right triangles and quadrilaterals, brushing water as needed to secure the dough.
7. Remove the ruler and set it aside. Rotate the parchment with carrot dough 180 degrees and lay another horizontal row of spinach shapes in the same pattern as the first row, alternating between right triangles and quadrilaterals.
8. Repeat this 2-row pattern until the entire surface of the carrot dough is covered.
9. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and freeze the pie top for at least 30 minutes or until it can be easily lifted as one piece. Once the pie top has frozen solid, it can be wrapped well and used to top a pie at a later time. A well-sealed pie top will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Handle frozen pie tops gently, as they can shatter.
10. Roll the second disk of carrot dough into a 14-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it over a 9-inch pie pan. Taking the edges of the dough, gently ease the dough into the pan, nestling it into the inner elbows of the pie pan. Trim the excess dough with kitchen shears to create a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang back under, creating an elevated edge.
11. To prepare the mushroom leek filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and lightly fry the garlic and rosemary, about 1 minute. Lay a single layer of mushroom slices in the pan and cook without agitating until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the mushrooms over, season with salt, and brown the other side, until most of the liquid is cooked out and the mushrooms have developed a deep brown crust. Remove to a plate. Repeat to cook the rest of the mushrooms. Set aside.
12. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat and brown the parsnips, potato, and apple, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the leeks, season generously with salt and pepper, and sauté until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the browned mushrooms and cook 1 more minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
13. Scoop the filling into the prepared pie shell.
14. Remove the frozen pie top from the freezer. Use a paring knife or shape cutter to cut one or two vent holes. Lightly brush water around the edge of the pie and lay the frozen dough centered on the surface of your filled pie. Let it sit for a few minutes to thaw slightly and settle. Press to seal the edges and run a paring knife around the edge to trim the excess dough.
15. Chill the entire pie in the freezer until the oven has come to temperature. The pie can be frozen solid before baking or simply chilled through, about 20 minutes.
16. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
17. When the oven has come to temperature, remove the pie from the freezer and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the pie for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie 180 degrees and lower the oven temperature to 350°F. If the edges are already brown, cover with a shield. If the spinach tiles begin to brown excessively, rest a sheet of foil lightly on top. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center, checking every 30 minutes to rotate the pie and adjust the shields as necessary, 50 to 75 total minutes. (If baking from frozen, add 30 to 45 minutes to the bake time.)
18. Cool the pie completely on a rack before slicing and serving.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Dough alternatives: Basic, Beet, Whole Wheat Cheddar Chive
NOTE
The filling can be made 1 or 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.