Zucchini and Gorgonzola Shortcrust Pie

Shortcrust pastry

We make this zucchini and Gorgonzola pie on shortcrust pastry to which we add egg yolks and a little water, so that it is not as crumbly as a cookie. Making the dough is not much different from the dough for a quiche. The zucchini should be young, with the seeds not yet formed, and not too thick; there is no need to peel them. The custard is made from cream, eggs and egg whites, with grated Gorgonzola added. You can use a similar soft blue cheese instead.

1. Rub the flour and butter together. Take the butter out of the fridge in advance so it becomes very soft. Sift 2 cups of flour (260 g) into the bowl of a mixer, add a pinch of salt and the butter in small lumps. Mix the flour and butter together with the mixer.

2. Knead the dough with the yolks and water. Separate the yolks of two eggs from the whites. Keep the whites for the pie custard and drop the yolks into the mixer bowl. Mix the mixture thoroughly; it will be quite dry. Keep kneading with the mixer, adding the boiled water 1 tbsp at a time. As a rule, you need very little water. The dough should come together into a ball in your hands and stay very soft without crumbling. Roll the dough into a ball and let it rest while you prepare the filling.

   

Filling

3. Fry the zucchini. Wash the young zucchini and dry them well, cut off the ends and slice crosswise into rounds 15-20 mm thick. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the zucchini and fry over medium heat until they start to brown well, then turn them over and fry the other side. The inside of the zucchini may stay fairly raw, and that is fine. Adding the oil in small portions, fry all the rounds. A medium zucchini takes 2 tbsp at most, usually even less. Put the fried rounds on a plate and let them cool to room temperature.

   

4. Make the custard. In a deep bowl, mix 150 ml of cream (we use store-bought 20% cream), one egg and the two egg whites left over from the dough. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Grate the Gorgonzola on a fine grater and stir the custard with a fork so that everything is evenly distributed.

   

   You can add finely chopped herbs to the custard, such as basil or parsley, and a few mushrooms fried in butter.

Assembling and baking

5. Press the dough into a tin with a rim. For baking we use a round 26 cm springform tin with high sides. Working the dough with your hands, spread it over the bottom of the tin in an even layer and form a rim up the sides 3-4 cm high. The dough is very soft and pliable and easy to press out: if needed, pinch some off a “thick” spot and add it where there is too little. If you really want to, make a scalloped edge, or just trim it level with a knife.

6. Carefully pour half of the custard onto the dough and spread it in an even layer.

   

7. Arrange the zucchini and pour over the rest of the custard. Cut the cooled zucchini rounds in half and lay them on top of the custard on the dough. Use a spoon to spread the remaining custard, trying to get as little of it as possible on top of the zucchini pieces.

   

8. Bake the pie in an oven preheated to 180-190°C for 30-35 minutes, going by how the surface of the custard sets. If the dough has not yet darkened much, you can bake it a little longer so the custard starts to brown, but do not let the zucchini burn.

   

Serving

9. Take the finished pie out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes and lift it out of the tin onto a board or a large plate. The pie cuts well into pieces with a sharp knife; it is worth sawing through the rim so that it does not crumble.

   

   The dough is shortcrust but denser. It holds its shape perfectly while still having all the qualities of shortcrust pastry. The pie is best eaten warm, served with soups or salads. It can also be a dish on its own, so try it with tomato juice.