So, as a continuation of my previous post, today I finished baking the white fish pie. To my partial surprise, it turned out pretty solid; my biggest concern, that the structure wouldn’t hold and the filling would explode everywhere, did not come to pass, so that was spectacular, haha.<\/p>\n
I went with the No-Rolling-Pin Pastry because I felt that it would be the easiest to work with while fitting the pie to my mold. That part definitely turned out to be true – the oil-based pastry worked wonderfully with my cardboard and aluminum mold, allowing me almost play-doh like control over my pastry so I could design and implement the base structure.<\/p>\n
The filling was simple and easy. It is a tried and true recipe I’ve cooked for dinner before, and I thought the light, cheesy flavors would sincerely compliment the baked pastry. I layered the seafood, sauce, and cheese so that all ingredients were symmetrically arranged and even the cross-section may be beautiful. This idea was further led by the fact that many towering medieval pies also contained layers of ingredients.<\/p>\n
Finally, the top crust was made in three parts: first, a fish head, onto which I molded a raised eye and cut in a gill and a smile, for good measure. Then, came the fish tail, which was simply a layer of pastry shaped to the mold of the tail. Onto that, I cut in lines to represent the tail fins. Finally, I created a series of individual scales onto which I cut in small, either single-line or triple-line striations. I thought this leaf-shaped design would look better than the cloud-shaped scales I displayed in my previous post, and I believe the gamble paid off. Furthermore, to achieve proper browning, I used egg yolk on the head (for a yellow tint as well as a lighter color), egg white on the scales (to impart a glistening sheen), and sugar water on the tail fins (to cause a golden brown).<\/p>\n
With a hunk of additional dough I had left over, I added a braided border along the bottom. This was attached after about 40 minutes of cooking, when the mold was removed. This invokes a rippling effect, as if the fish is swimming through water. I also added an egg wash on that to cause browning.<\/p>\n
The biggest gripe I had with this piece is how brittle and hard to work with the pastry became. It was initially good for the structure, and fitting to the mold, but next time, I would use a different pastry for the top crust as well as the braid – likely a flaky all-butter pastry. The use of the other pastry just caused some issues with designs staying as well as the crust flaking in unusual places, marring the design.<\/p>\n
Another issue involved browning – the effect of a dark tail, shiny scales, and a slightly brown\/yellow head was not achieved. Overall, it turned out well though.<\/p>\n
Take a look and judge for yourself!<\/p>\n
![\"20140121_143809\"](\"http:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/lifeofpie13\/files\/2014\/01\/20140121_143809.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n[The Mold in the shape of a Fish]<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0[Raw Pie – the Crust as well as Filling is all in – take note of the Designs cut into the Top Crust]<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n[After Pre-Baking in the Oven with the Braided Border around – some of the glisten and color from the Wash can be seen]<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n[Another Angle]<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n[This side came out well – note the Ripple Effect created by the Braid]<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n[All done Cooking!]<\/p>\n