The morning after a holiday, I open my fridge and am immediately overwhelmed by the abundance of Tupperware stuffed with leftovers stacked three to four high on each shelf. So one year, I started a tradition that is typical of our British friends: making a Boxing Day pie.
This tradition usually happens on the day after Christmas. British families will throw together a savory pie of dinner leftovers such as roasted turkey, glazed ham, seasonal veggies and savory stuffing, baked in a golden pastry crust for a slice of holiday goodness.
I thought to myself, why just Christmas? For the most part, when we celebrate a holiday, we pair dishes together that we feel will go well, flavors that will have their ‘Ratatouille’ moment, so theoretically they should all play well in a golden brown pie.
This year, after creating traditional American Thanksgiving dishes with a little Dominican flair, I created a leftover holiday pie that I felt was worth sharing. This included a roasted turkey breast and thigh that was mojo marinated, a sage stuffing, an orange cranberry sauce, gravy made from that same mojo marinated turkey, some buttery mashed potatoes, and a glazed ham. Something old and something new, which resulted in a mostly traditional pie with a hint of citrus that brightened the whole pie up.
Leftover Holiday Pie
Serves: 8
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
For the hot water crust pastry:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of water
1 stick unsalted butter
For the filling:
1 cup mashed potatoes
1.5 cups cooked turkey
1.5 cups cooked ham
1/2 cup sage stuffing
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1/2 cup gravy
Salt and pepper
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place water and butter in a sauce pan and heat until butter is melted.
- Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the bowl and pour the melted butter/water into the well.
- Working while the mixture is still warm, bring the flour and liquid together into a shaggy dough until workable enough to dump out onto the counter top.
- Bring together until smooth but do not overwork.
- Cut off about 1/3 of the dough to save for the top of the pie.
- Roll out the remaining dough to fit a 9” pie dish and place into the dish.
- Fill the pie with the mix of filling ingredients, starting with mashed potatoes (if using) to give a sturdy base.
- Roll out the top of the pie and cover, crimping the edges. Create three to four slits in the middle of the pie.
- Brush the pie with egg wash and bake at 375 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown. Pro tip: If the edges start to brown too much before the crust is fully baked, place aluminum foil on the edges to prevent burning.
What is hot water crust pastry?
Hot water crust pastries are designed for savory pies because they hold up to heavy, wet fillings very well, whereas a flaky pastry can tend to end up with a soggy bottom if used for something like this. That’s why when it comes to a Boxing Day pie, a hot water crust pastry is used. It’s termed so because of the way it’s created, by taking hot liquid, pouring it into the flour and working the dough while it’s still warm.
You can create a Boxing Day pie with any combination of ingredients after your holiday party, so as we approach a plethora of holidays this season, start thinking of some flavor combinations!
Looking to brush up on your baking skills? Check out our Breads for The Holiday Table or Classic Holiday Cookies classes coming up soon.
