Novelty Pie Contest

[feggy]

Hi all,

This is a strange request but I'm hoping some of you might be able to help me bat around some ideas.

Some friends of mine hold a Pie Contest once a year and it's evolved into a competition to see who can come up with the most weird and wacky combinations to really make an impact.

In the past I've done a cherpumple (this isn't mine, but it's the same principle http://preview.tinyurl.com/cak7kde) and a Bangers & Mash Pie with a Yorkshire Pudding base but I'm out of ideas for this year.

I am considering the possibility of a riff on a crumb crust but for a savoury pie - maybe with a combination of savoury crackers and pork scratchings pressed into a spring form tin but then can't decide an appropriate savoury filling - layers of paté, rillettes and cream cheese?

My other idea is an ice cream pie with a meringue crust - blowtorched rather than baked but I'm not sure.

Any pearls of wisdom?

[seamunky]

So what did you end up making?

What were some of the standouts at the pie contest?

Who won?!?!

I'm craving pie :)

[melpy]

I want to literally make every suggestion on here.

[maxie]

Not as exciting as some of the others, but I would like a spicy pork, apple and onion pie with an herbed cornmeal streusel. Or basteeya in pie form. Apple pie with candied bacon and nuts?

[feggy]

Pork + apple = match made in heaven! I had never considered savoury streusel before, that could be great with some parmesan and pine nuts to top the Italian layered pie mentioned up thread!

[nemo]

Bumping this thread just because I'm having so much fun reading it and hope some folks will see it for the first time and share ideas.

feggy

Love the falafel crust idea layered with schwarma and other Greek fixings topped with piped yoghurt.

Mollie Katzen has a recipe on her Web site for a shredded zucchini crust that she puts in a 10" pie pan (recipe is for a pizza) and also a polenta crust (which you could spin in an Italian direction). Just to keep your brain churning!

And don't forget about hand pies, pasties, and calzone. Are individual pies allowed?

[melpy]

Polenta pie crust with sausage, red sauce, and piped ricotta?
There are also recipes for rice crusts out there.
What about a double crusted pie made of naan dough with chicken tika Masala filling with a raita sauce on the side?

[feggy]

I am already aware of a curry pie being entered! A naan crust and a chicken biryani filling I think with a layer of mango chutney and lime pickle.

[feggy]

Individual pies are certainly allowed! A couple of people use this : http://www.williams-sonoma.com/produc... but I think that might be cheating a little bit...

[seamunky]

How about a crispy falafel crust with a cold yogurt and cucumber filling garnished with fresh mint? I can imagine slices of crisp persian cucumber hinting toward apples in a pie.

[feggy]

A crispy falafel crust sounds like my idea of heaven. I wonder if I could use a layer of gyros and a layer of tabbouleh and then make a thick yoghurt sauce to pipe on the top creating the illusion of whipped cream? Plenty of food for thought!

[melpy]

Sign me up to eat that pie!!!

[eel]

There's no crumb crust, but you will wow them big time with Stargazy pie (sometimes called starrey gazey pie). Google it.

I've not made it, but will eventually.

[feggy]

That's something I've always wondered about making, it looks incredible. Great suggestion!

[dave_c]

A coworker made an apple pie using Red Hots candy. It wasn't bad, but I'm not a big dessert eater. Definitely different. :-)

Ice cream pie with meringue = baked Alaska?

[feggy]

I've never considered Baked Alaska a pie but I suppose it is! Not sure how it would cope with being on a buffet table having sustained the oven though. A regular ice cream pie might be easier because it would be colder to start with.

[katecm]

What if you did something like your ice cream pie, but make it multi-layered as a banana split? So from the bottom up, a crumb crust, slices of banana, a chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, caramel, chocolate ice cream, Strawberry sauce, strawberry ice cream, and then your meringue?

[feggy]

Fruit is a great idea in the ice cream pie, but banana is my one food I hate. I was thinking yesterday about making a rainbow ice cream pie - starting with raspberry sorbet, then strawberry ice cream, peach ice cream, yellow vanilla, green pistachio, mint choc chip, blueberry sorbet, blackcurrant sorbet, chocolate ice cream. I wonder if the visual effect would be ruined on cutting it though.

[TeRReT]

A hot knife should slice through ice cream and leave the layers beautiful

[chowser]

You could do a savory rainbow pie, like a torta rustica. Layer it w/ tomato sauce, orange tomatoes, cheese, spinach, blue potatoes, eggplant w/ skin. You'd retain the individual colors vs. ice cream.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/torta-rustica-recipe

http://in-homeculinaryclasses.blogspo...

[feggy]

That looks fabulous - I love the layered effect.

[DuchessNukem]

I think I'd love a Hot Breakfast Pie (kind of a tall layered quiche), assembled as from below: crust, soft eggs, cheese, crisply fried hash browns, breakfast sausage crumbles, more soft eggs, cheese, bacon crumbles, more hash browns. Guess you could saute some veggies and adulterate the eggs with them.

[feggy]

All Day Breakfast Pie was the winner last year - a friend of mine layered everything you'd find in a Full English Breakfast and used Earl Grey Tea in the gravy he served alongside! It was a masterpiece.

[DuchessNukem]

Ah, your friend's take does sound much more sophisticated.

Hmmmm.... maybe holiday dinner layer pie (inspired by an ad for hot dogs next to your post). I was thinking American Fourth of July Pie, representing hamburgs and hot dogs, but you're overseas I'd guess? Christmas pie maybe... layered with rolls as crust, turkey and gravy at base, layer of mashed potatoes, cranberry, green beans, up through dessert and whipped cream. Every bite a complete taste of the dinner.