Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Filling:
  2. Mix water, bouillion cubes, salt, and potato in a sauce pan and boil over medium heat until the potatoes just start to soften.
  3. Add vegetables to the pan and boil an additional 5 minutes or so, then reduce heat to simmer and very gradually stir in corn starch. Gauge starch until mixture has a medium gravy texture or as you would desire for pie filling.
  4. Finally, add meat and simmer without stirring while you make the crust. Either add water or corn starch to adjust texture if necessary.
  5. Crust:
  6. In a large mixing bowl, blend flour, salt, and garlic/onion (if used). Dice vegetable shortening and butter to small pieces and distribute evenly in flour. Either cut in or with an electric mixer, mix shortening and butter into flour to obtain a flaky granular mixture.
  7. With a large spoon, break ice cubes in your hand and distribute the chips throughout the flour mixture. Blend ice in until fully incorporated and melted into the flour.
  8. Split the mixture into 2 sections sufficient to make a crust and covering. Flour a flat surface and roll sections with a floured rolling pin until good size for pie pan and cover. For a nice touch, slice the cover section into 1" strips to make a weave or criss-cross patterned top.
  9. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  10. Lightly grease a pie tin (or dish) and form the pie crust into the tin, leaving loose edges all the way around the tin. Rub the olive oil inside the entire crust as it sits in the tin.
  11. Recheck the consistency of the filling and adjust as necessary. Pour the filling into the pie crust, leaving enough room to add the covering.
  12. Lay a full covering (or weave strips) of crust across the top of the pie. Pinch the edges where the upper and lower crust meet to form a seal all the way around the pie. Once sealed, trim excess crust to edge of pie tin. Knife holes into the crust cover to relieve pressure during cooking.
  13. Brush milk thoroughlly and generously across entire upper crust of pie, then place in oven. Cook for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.