Artichoke Pie (Pastel de Alcachofas) - Chef Recipe by Martin Morales

Ingredients

3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbs plain flour
200mL full-fat milk
12 artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
2 1/2 Tbs breadcrumbs
50g vegetarian Parmesan-like hard cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
3 handfuls of spinach leaves
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
Salad leaves, to serve
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pastry:

200g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
90g butter, cubed and chilled
1 egg yolk
75mL iced water

Method

First, make the pastry. Rub together the flour and butter with a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then work in the egg yolk and water. When you have a smooth dough, wrap it up in cling film and put it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pie filling. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and cook for a further 2–3 minutes to soften.

Add the flour and stir until it has combined with the olive oil, then gradually incorporate the milk in the same way as you would when making a béchamel. When all the milk is incorporated, allow the liquid to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often, until thickened.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the artichoke, breadcrumbs, cheese and eggs. Season well with salt and pepper and allow to cool. When the filling has cooled down, transfer to a food processor or blender, add the spinach and blitz until the texture is a little smoother.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (Gas mark 4). Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide it into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other.

Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the larger piece of pastry to a circle of about 25cm in diameter. Use this to line a 22cm–23cm diameter ceramic flan dish. Add the filling, then trim the pastry and brush the exposed rim with some egg wash.

Roll out the remaining piece of pastry and use a sharp knife to cut out leaf shapes, arranging them in 2 concentric circles around the top of the filling, as shown, leaving a central hole to allow steam to escape. You’ll need about 35 leaf shapes altogether. Brush the leaves well with the remaining egg wash.

Bake the pie in the oven for about 40–45 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is piping hot. Serve hot or cold with a salad on the side.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Andina by Martin Morales published by Quadrille RRP $45 and is available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: David Loftus.