Page 241 - Pie Squared

forms a ball. Form the dough into a 6- by 4-inch rectangle using
plastic wrap and a bench scraper to firmly press the dough into a

cohesive form. Wrap tightly and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm
slightly. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the
other. Roll out the larger piece to 11 by 15 inches and place in the

slab pie pan, pressing it into the corners of the pan and allowing the
excess to drape over the sides. Refrigerate. Roll out the second
piece of dough to 10 by 14 inches, place it on a lightly floured sheet
of parchment, and refrigerate.

Heat the oven to 400°F; if you have one, place a baking stone,
Baking Steel, or inverted baking sheet on the center rack to heat
(see here).
For the white fish: Place the white fish in a 3-inch-deep baking

dish and cover with the milk. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and
parsley stalks. Bake, uncovered, until the milk is hot and the fish is
opaque, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the liquid into a measuring cup and
break the fish into bite-sized pieces.

For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. When it
foams, add the flour and paprika and whisk until a smooth roux
develops. Continue cooking, stirring all the while, until the roux has
browned slightly and the flour smell goes away, about 2 minutes

longer. Slowly whisk the warm liquid used to cook the fish into the
roux. Keep whisking until the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 or 3
minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cream and cheese
and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Taste, season with salt and

pepper as needed, and cool the sauce before proceeding.
To fill the pie: Pull the chilled bottom crust out of the refrigerator.
Scatter the flaked cooked white fish across the bottom crust,
followed by the salmon, shrimp, potatoes, peas, chopped parsley,

and capers. Pour the sauce over the filling.
To replicate the decorated top crust in the photo, use a cookie
cutter to make cutouts on the cold crust. (P.S. Do this before placing
the crust on the pie.) Crimp and slash, if not using cutouts. Cover the

pie with the top crust. Mix the egg yolk, water, and salt together. With
a pastry brush, paint the crust generously with the salty egg wash.