Recipe: Out of the Fire Oyster Pot Pies

PIE-A-DAY #6

Off The Eaten Path: Second Helpings.

His Oyster Pot Pies come from Out of the Fire, a restaurant in Maryland.

Read below from the recipe, and click here to enter YOUR delicious pie (or pies) in the 5th Annual Good Food Pie Contest on Saturday, September 7th at LACMA.

Out of the Fire Oyster Pot Pies

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

3 bacon slices

1 1⁄4 cups diced carrot

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced celery

1⁄4 cup butter

1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1 1⁄2 cups diced unpeeled baking potato

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1⁄4 cup Spanish sherry

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 (16-oz.) container oysters, drained

1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450. Cook bacon in a large skillet 5 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in pan. Crumble bacon. Cook carrot and next 2 ingredients in hot drippings 8 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.

2. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in half-and-half and next 3 ingredients; cook over medium heat 4 minutes, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in sherry and thyme. Stir potato mixture into vegetable mixture.

3. Divide vegetable mixture evenly among 4 lightly greased (2-cup) crocks. Place one-fourth of the oysters (9 to 10 oysters) in each crock; stir oysters into vegetable mixture.

4. Roll each piecrust into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut 2 (5-inch) circles from each piecrust. Place circles on top of filling in crocks. Cut slits in crust to let steam escape.

5. Brush crusts with olive oil. Bake at 450 for 30 minutes or until crust is browned and filling is bubbly. Let stand.