The Pie Room

In the recent swarm of pie books, savory pies have been almost a quiet afterthought. But in The Pie Room, Calum Franklin, chef of London’s Holborn Dining Room, demonstrates the dizzying possibilities of vegetables, fish, poultry, and meats in pastry cases.

From his riff on the classic British sausage roll and prawn-filled vol-au-vents, to ‘nduja-stuffed brioche or smoked eel, potato and parsley quiche, Franklin deftly pairs flavors and textures, using just the right crust and the right shape to allow all the ingredients to cook properly. He wants his crusts crisp and golden, and the foods they encase to be fully cooked. That can mean some rather strict instructions and emphatic cautions that “I cannot stress enough how important this is.” But if there’s a point in turning to someone who’s built a career on cooking something, it’s to glean insights like this.

There are some sweet pies as well, just in case you go in for that sort of thing.

Metric measurements are used and weights are much more common than volume.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.