“His name is Ronchy McHiggins. ... Runs a tavern called the Roundish Widow that serves the finest sailor’s pie I’ve ever laid mouth on. He cooks it with a sprig of honeybud, and the mashes atop it are copiously peppered and garlicked. Seven vegetables are mixed with goat crème and—”“Can we trust him?” Nia asked.Oskar cleared his throat and eyed his diggle meat with disdain. “I hope so. He’s the one who introduced me to Gammon. ... If anyone can find us a guide over the Stony Mountains to the Ice Prairies, Ronchy McHiggins can. His sailor’s pie, as I said, is delicious.”—From North! Or Be Eaten, chapter 17, "An Ally in Dugtown."
Ronchy McHiggins' Sailor's PieOlive oil2 slabs henmeat, cut into small pieces1 onion, cut up8 oz. mushrooms, sliced2 c. broccoli, cut up1 lb. asparagus, cut up*1 acorn squash, peeled and cut up*2 parsnips, cut up2 carrots, cut up1 sprig (about 2 t.) honeybud*A few cloves of garlic, smashedSalt and pepper1 c. goat crème**1 1/2 c. hen broth1/2 c. hen broth1/4 c. potato starch or other thickener3 lb. totatoes, quartered3/4 to 1 c. heavy cream1/2 c. (1 stick) butterThe rest of the head of garlic, smashedSalt and copious pepper•••First, start a fire in your oven. You'll want it to get to about 350º.Heat up a very large pan, and when it's hot, add a good-sized splash of oil. Add some garlic and stir it around for just a few seconds. Add your vegetables, a handful at a time, and stir as you go, then add the henmeat. Add more oil as you go to keep things from sticking.When the henmeat is cooked through and the vegetables are done, pour in the goat crème and 1 1/2 c. of hen broth. Whisk the potato starch into the remaining 1/2 cup of broth, then add that to the pan, too. It'll thicken quickly, so keep an eye on it while you stir. Add salt, pepper, and honeybud to taste.Remove the pan from the heat, and spread all of this mixture into a very large (about 9x13") baking pan.Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the totatoes. Let them cook until you can stab them through with a fork. Drain the totatoes, then melt the butter in the pot. Add the garlic and stir for a minute. Put the totatoes back into the pot and mash them. Add salt, cream, and copious pepper as you go. (If you have a helper, they can do this part while you work on the henmeat and vegetable filling.)When the mashes are ready, spread them over the top of the filling in the pan. Top with more pepper. If you like, you can use a spoon to make little dips and swirls in the mashes, and fill those in with more garlicky butter. Put the pan in the oven and bake for about twenty minutes, or until the filling burbles a little. (You might want to put the pan on a large cookie sheet, in case it burbles over.)*You can substitute other vegetables if these are not on hand. For example, butternut squash works well in place of acorn squash, and sugar snap peas can be used if asparagus isn't in season. And thyme works nicely if you haven't any honeybud.**If you can't find goat crème, you can substitute goat milk (or toothy cow milk, if you can manage to extract it and keep all your limbs), thickened with 4 oz. of goat cheese.
This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 48-52 of North! Or Be Eaten. Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share one of your own!