Marianne Martinez
Pies are a delicious dessert, but baking them can be a challenging task. The common struggles include the proper greasing of the dish, achieving the perfect filling-to-crust ratio, and the subsequent cleaning of the pie dish. A popular hack for baking pies is to use a parchment-lined cake pan or cast-iron skillet instead of a traditional pie dish. This method makes it easier to remove the pie from the pan and slice it, and it also simplifies the cleaning process. Chicken pot pies are also typically cooked in a pan, and skillets are used to create a rustic, golden, and flaky pie.
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Chicken pan pie
First, preheat your oven to 400°F (200-220°C). You will need a 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet or sauté pan for this recipe. Start by melting butter in your pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are softened and slightly browned, which should take around 3 to 4 minutes.
Next, add bite-sized pieces of chicken to the pan. Cook the chicken until it loses its pink color and starts to brown, which should also take around 3 to 4 minutes. If you prefer, you can use rotisserie chicken for added convenience. Simply shred the cooked chicken and add it to the pan.
Now it's time to add the aromatics. Toss in diced carrots, celery, leek, and garlic. You can also add some fresh or dried thyme and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a subtle kick. Sauté these ingredients together for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Sprinkle some flour over the mixture and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly, until the flour coats the vegetables. This will help thicken your filling. Then, pour in your chicken broth and a touch of cream. You can use store-bought or homemade broth, whichever you have on hand. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate all the flavors.
Let the filling simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. You can adjust the consistency to your liking by simmering for a little longer if you prefer a thicker filling. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Finally, it's time to add the pastry. You can use store-bought puff pastry or make your own pie crust, such as a tender, flaky buttercrust pastry dough. Place the pastry on top of the chicken mixture, tucking the edges inside the pan to ensure the filling is completely covered.
Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash (a mixture of whisked egg and a teaspoon of heavy cream) to give it a golden sheen. Using a sharp knife, cut a small "X" in the center of the pastry to allow steam to escape while baking.
Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills, and pop it in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Once done, remove the chicken pan pie from the oven and let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving. This dish is best enjoyed warm, and any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
There you have it—a delicious chicken pan pie made right in your sauté pan!
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Bake in a cast-iron skillet
Cast-iron skillets are great for baking because they retain heat and conduct it evenly. This means you can achieve an even crust without any hot spots, which can occur with glass and ceramic pie plates. A cast-iron skillet will give your pie a rustic, golden, and flaky look. A standard pie pan is 9 inches round, so your best bet for skillet pie success is with a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. A 10-inch skillet will also work, but make sure you have enough crust to cover the bottom and sides.
When baking a pie in a cast-iron skillet, place the skillet on the very bottom rack of the oven. Being closer to the heat source allows the cast iron to absorb heat easily and bake your pie beautifully. The bake times and temperatures will remain the same as the original, but make sure to check on your pie and pull it out when the top crust is golden brown.
Before placing the crust in the skillet, roll out about 70% of it for the bottom, ensuring that the crust comes up about three-quarters of the way up the sides. Then, cut off any excess and combine it with the remaining 30% for your top crust. When placing the top crust over the filling, ensure that all of the crusts stay inside the skillet to avoid burning.
To serve, place the pie in the skillet on a pretty trivet for a beautiful, rustic dessert. If you want the pie to slice cleanly, without oozing filling, allow it to cool completely before serving. Reheat your cooled pie, tented with aluminium foil, for about 20 minutes in a 350°F oven to serve it warm.
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Use a cake pan
Yes, you can cook a pie in a cake pan. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when using a cake pan for pie baking. Firstly, a cake pan is deeper than a standard pie pan, so you may need to adjust your recipe or baking technique. For example, you may choose to make a deep-dish pie or only fill the cake pan partially with your pie dough and filling.
Secondly, removing the pie from a cake pan can be tricky. Typically, cakes are removed from cake pans by flipping the pan upside down, but this may not be ideal for pies, especially those with a delicate filling. To make removal easier, it is recommended to line your cake pan with parchment paper, allowing some excess paper to hang over the sides. This will give you "little handles" to help lift the pie out of the pan without mangling it.
Additionally, slicing pie baked in a cake pan can be challenging. The deeper sides of a cake pan may make it difficult to get a clean slice, especially when trying to separate the first slice from the pan. Using parchment paper can help with this as well, as you can lift the entire pie out of the pan and then slice it, avoiding the issue of separating the crust from the pan.
Finally, some pie recipes may not be suitable for a cake pan due to its depth and straight sides. Free-form pies, such as galettes or crostini, are typically baked on a flat baking sheet and would not work in a cake pan.
In conclusion, while it is possible to bake a pie in a cake pan, there are some considerations to keep in mind, such as adjusting your recipe, using parchment paper for easy removal and slicing, and ensuring your pie recipe is suitable for the shape and depth of a cake pan.
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Parchment paper
To use this method, crinkle the parchment paper first, then spread it along the bottom of the pan, allowing for some excess to hang over the sides. This excess can be used as handles to lift the pie out of the pan after baking.
However, some sources suggest that using parchment paper in this way can be more expensive and labour-intensive than simply buying more pie pans or disposable aluminium pie pans. It can also affect the cooking process, potentially increasing baking time and preventing the bottom of the pie from browning as much as it would without the paper.
Additionally, pies removed from their pans using parchment paper will need to be placed in a "container" as they will not hold their shape for long outside of a dish.
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Crust tips
While it is possible to bake a pie in a sauté pan, there are some challenges that you may encounter, especially when it comes to the crust. Here are some tips to help you achieve a perfect crust when baking a pie in a sauté pan:
- Choose the right type of crust for your pie. A basic all-butter pie crust (pâte brisée) is a versatile option that works for almost any pie.
- For a flaky, tender crust, cut cold butter into small pieces and chill them in the freezer for about 10 minutes before incorporating them into your flour. You can use a food processor, a pastry cutter, or even grate the frozen butter.
- When mixing the dough, aim for a texture that resembles soft sand. You can use a combination of shortening, flour, and salt, mixing until crumbly, and then adding water as needed to hold it together.
- If you're making a double-crust pie, roll out the second disk of dough and gently place it onto the filling. Trim any excess dough, leaving a slight overhang, and then fold and crimp the edges.
- To prevent a soggy bottom crust, bake your pie on the bottom rack of the oven. This ensures the bottom cooks through, resulting in a solid, crisp crust.
- Ensure your crust sits right on the lip of the pan. If it hangs over the side, the dough may melt over during baking, causing a mess and potentially setting off your smoke detector.
- For easier cleanup, line your pan with parchment paper. Crinkle the paper first, then spread it along the bottom of the pan, allowing excess paper to hang over the sides. This will create handles for removing the pie later.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cook a pie in a sauté pan. A cast-iron skillet can be used to bake almost any pie. A standard pie pan is 9 inches round, so a 9-inch cast-iron skillet is the best option for success. A 10-inch skillet will also work, but you will need enough crust to cover the bottom and sides.
Cast iron is great for baking because it retains heat and conducts it evenly. Traditional pie pans are just over an inch deep, but skillets are at least two inches deep, allowing for a higher crust-to-filling ratio.
It is recommended to line your pan with parchment paper, crinkling it first and allowing for any excess to hang over the sides. This will make it easier to pull the pie out of the pan and also makes clean-up easier.
