Equipment
Ingredients
The Filling
- 6 bacon, chopped
- 100 g onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 1 savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
- 12 g salt
- 1 g black pepper
- 64 g honey
- 90 ml sherry
- 7 g butter
- 6 firm bosc pears
- 115 g stilton, crumbled
The Crust
- 150 g flour
- 4 g sugar
- 6 g salt
- 70 g butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
- 30 ml bacon fat, frozen
- 45 ml water, ice cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Fry the chopped bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 30ml (2 tbsp) of fat in a small container and the remaining fat in the skillets.
Place the container with 30ml of bacon fat in the freezer until solid.
Sauté the sliced onion in half of the remaining bacon fat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Divide the shredded cabbage between two large skillets using the remaining fat and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Combine all cabbage into one skillet and stir in the salt, pepper, honey, and sherry.
Continue cooking the cabbage for 25 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the cabbage wilts.
Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Incorporate the 70g of chilled butter and the frozen bacon fat into the flour until it looks like coarse meal.
Stir in the ice water gradually until the dough forms a ball, then flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic.
Chill the dough disk in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
Peel, core, and slice the pears. Melt 7g of butter in a skillet and sauté the pears for 10 minutes.
Roll out the chilled dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate.
Line the dough with foil, fill with pie weights, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and weights, then bake the crust for another 10 minutes.
Layer the cabbage mixture into the baked crust and arrange the pear slices on top.
Bake the assembled pie for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the crumbled Stilton over the pears and bake for 2 more minutes.
Chef's Notes
- For the crispiest bacon, ensure the skillet is hot before adding it, and don't overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary.
- When sautéing the cabbage, don't rush the wilting process. Allowing it to cook down slowly will concentrate its flavor and prevent a watery filling.
- The pastry for this pie benefits from being kept very cold. If the dough becomes warm while working with it, pop it back in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
- Bosc pears are ideal due to their firm texture, which holds up well to sautéing and baking without becoming mushy. Ensure they are ripe but not overly soft.
- For a more intense blue cheese flavor, consider using a mature Stilton. If you're sensitive to strong flavors, a milder blue cheese can be substituted.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat in a 150°C (300°F) oven until the center is warm.
