Mashama Bailey’s Oyster Savory Hand Pie Recipe

Note: The total time does not include 2 weeks of inactive time.

For the pickled celery:

• 10 garlic cloves
• 3½ cups white vinegar
• 3½ cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup salt
• 7 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dill seeds
• ½ teaspoon celery seeds
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 10 celery ribs, peeled and diced

For the pie dough:

• ¼ cup ice water
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, preferably with less than 80 percent fat content, cut into 8 pieces

For the fish fumet:

• 2 tbsp blended oil (a mixture of canola oil and olive oil), peanut oil, or canola oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 2 small fennel bulbs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup pinot grigio
• 3 pounds fish bones

For the filling:

• 2 quarts fish fumet
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 240 grams butter
• 195 grams diced sweet white onion
• 160 grams diced fennel root
• 160 grams all-purpose flour
• 125 grams peeled, diced, boiled, and cooled Yukon gold potatoes
• 100 grams diced pickled celery
• 4 grams whole tarragon leaves
• 15 grams salt
• 50 grams Manzanilla sherry wine
• 2 cups shucked oysters
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash

For the garnish:

• Benne seeds or sesame seeds

Make the pickled celery (at least 2 weeks in advance):

1. 1

   in a stainless steel saucepan set over medium heat, combine all of the pickled celery ingredients except for the celery. Steep the liquid for 30 minutes, then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Strain the pickle brine before pickling the celery.

2. 2

   Place the diced celery in a shallow baking dish.

3. 3

   Pour the brine over the celery until the celery is completely covered. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the liquid—not on top of the dish—and refrigerate for at least 2 weeks.

Make the dough (up to 2 days in advance):

1. 1

   In a small bowl, stir together the ice water and the vinegar, and set aside.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt, and mix gently. Transfer half of the dry mixture into a food processor. Add half the butter to the food processor and pulse 5–6 times.

3. 3

   Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and the remaining butter, taking care to minimize handling to keep the ingredients cool. Pulse another 5–6 times.

4. 4

   Transfer the dry mixture into the large mixing bowl. The butter should be in pea-size pieces or smaller. Use your hands to break up any pieces that are larger than that.

5. 5

   Make a well in your dry mixture. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the ice water–vinegar mixture and stir.

6. 6

   Continue adding 2 tablespoons of the liquid at a time, stirring after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and folding in the flour.

7. 7

   After incorporating all of the liquid, pinch the dough. If it holds together but still feels dry, it’s ready. If it’s too dry, add another 1–2 tablespoons of the ice water-vinegar, scraping and folding after each addition. If it’s slightly too wet, add a little flour.

8. 8

   Lightly flour a flat work surface. Transfer the dough onto the surface and gently knead it into a disc. Wrap the disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

9. 9

   When you’re ready to prepare your hand pies, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.

10. 10

    Lightly flour a flat work surface. Place the disc on the work surface and divide it in half. Dust half of the dough with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s circular and ¼ -inch thick. Ensure throughout that the dough doesn’t stick to the surface top.

11. 11

    Using a 6-inch-round cutter, cut out 3 circles of dough. Place the dough circles on a sheet tray and transfer the tray to the refrigerator. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second half of the dough, and transfer the second set of dough circles to the refrigerator. Let the dough rest while you make the fish fumet and the filling.

Make the fish fumet:

1. 1

   Pour the oil into a rondeau pan set over low heat. Add the diced vegetables and sweat them with all of the aromatics for about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the white wine and reduce by ¾, about 7 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the fish bones, and cover everything in the pan with water. Bring the fumet to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the fumet for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Strain the fumet and reduce it further if you’re looking for a more intense flavor.

Start the filling:

1. 1

   In a medium saucepan, add the fish fumet, heavy cream, and bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by ⅓, about 15 minutes.

2. 2

   While the fumet mixture reduces, place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the onion and fennel, and sweat them until they’re translucent about 5 minutes. Keep stirring gently and keep your eye on the heat—you don’t want to brown the butter.

3. 3

   After 5 minutes, add the flour to the saucepan to create a roux. Continue to cook over low heat until the flour is fragrant and smells a bit nutty, about 10–15 minutes.

4. 4

   After 10–15 minutes, add the fish fumet and cream mixture to the roux in small quantities, incorporating the liquid with a whisk with each addition. This helps to avoid flour lumps. Once the fumet is fully incorporated into the roux, bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon without running, about 10–15 minutes.

5. 5

   After 10–15 minutes, add the potatoes, pickled celery, fresh tarragon, salt, and, last, the sherry wine to the saucepan. Gently stir to incorporate all of the ingredients. Continue cooking the mixture over low heat for another 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Fill the dough:

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the pie discs from the refrigerator.

2. 2

   Dust a flat work surface with flour, and lay out your dough circles. Each circle should yield 1 hand pie.

3. 3

   Working on 1 hand pie at a time, spoon about 1½ tablespoons of filling into the center of the dough, then place 2–3 raw oysters on top of the filling.

4. 4

   Brush the egg wash around the edge of the dough. Fold the pie in half and lightly press down on the edge with your fingers to seal the hand pie. Use a fork to crimp the edge.

5. 5

   Repeat this process with the remaining 5 circles of dough.

6. 6

   Place the crimped hand pies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a small knife, create 3 small slits in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape. Be careful to not drag the knife too forcefully.

7. 7

   Brush each hand pie top with egg wash and then sprinkle with benne seeds. Bake until the pie dough turns golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let the hand pies rest and cool slightly before serving.

Learn How to Cook Authentic Southern Food
When you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership, you can join James Beard Award–winning Chef Mashama Bailey as she cooks some of her favorite Southen foods, from her grandmother’s fish and grits to an elevated seafood middlins recipe that honors the ingenuity of enslaved cooks.