Groat Pie

From Shattered Space: a Starfield expansion ...

 

JUMP TO RECIPE

Working on Starfield: The Official Cookbook was one of my favorite things I've done in my career, and that's saying something, because I've been lucky enough to be a part of some really cool projects. It was one of my wildest dreams to do a cookbook for a Bethesda game, so big thanks to Bethesda and Insight Editions for trusting me with this. Also, a shout out to my co-author, Jim Festante, who is not only a fantastic writer, but also a wonderful human. If you have kids in your life that you care about (or even just tolerate) you should check out his awesome new organization here. Also, did you know we also wrote Mass Effect: The Official Cocktail Book together? Like I said, some really cool projects.

 

The experience of doing the Starfield cookbook was a particularly fun challenge for me. Because this was a brand spanking new series, I couldn’t fall back on my mental archive of geeky trivia. Y'all, I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I CAN remember almost every major house in Westeros PLUS their bannermen, and that the Hanar homeworld is called Kahje and is basically 90% ocean. I was learning new things about Starfield's world on the fly, and adjusting the recipes as I played. Luckily for me, Starfield is a game that really WANTED to be a cookbook... Chunks! Can-UCK! Partially eaten sandwiches! All that intriguing space food was just sitting there, all perfectly rendered and sparkly from the specular highlighting... just begging to be made. 

 

Lately, I’ve been seeing some requests for foods from Shattered Space (and received one strongly worded email about the absence of Va'ruun dishes from the cookbook). Shattered Space dropped well after Starfield: The Official Cookbook had had its final polish, so sadly, none of the cool new stuff from the expansion made it in there. Hopefully I can remedy that a little bit right now.

 

Shattered Space explores the history and customs of House Va’ruun, and with that comes some very intriguing traditions, culinary and... otherwise. Like groats! Groats are domesticated creatures from the planet Va’ruun’kai. They're known for their stubborn nature and strong odor. Both their milk and meat are a key parts of House Va’ruun’s diet... along with seaweed, of course. 

 

Since groats don't exist here on Old Earth (sadly), I decided to combine two different meats so that the filling won’t taste exactly like any one Earth meat. The second meat choice is flexible but should have a distinct gamey flavor. And what’s Va'ruun cuisine without a little seaweed? I toyed with a bunch of ideas on how to incorporate the seaweed but I eventually settled on dulse seasoning. Dulse flakes (or granules) are generally used as a salt alternative, but in addition to that brininess, they do add a very subtle ocean-y flavor that blends seamlessly into this dish. On top of that, it's relatively affordable and easy to find. You can find them in a fair amount of regular grocery stores, but the health food spots are sure to have them. And even if you can't find them locally, they're pretty easy to order online. 

 

Now for the look. The game sprite looks like a your standard shepherd's or cottage pie with the mashed potato topping, and the in-game ingredients support that. This style of pie typically does not include a pastry crust, but the description mentions a chewy crust, so I threw one in there. If you want to simplify things, you can use premade pie dough, or skip the crust entirely. Another optional step is piping on the mashed potatoes. You could just spoon them on top and smooth it out (which is what I'd do literally any other time) but I really wanted to emulate the game sprite for the picture. Plus, the rosettes look so pretty, and they get pleasantly crisp when baked.

 

So it's like Barrett says, House Va'ruun sure knows how to party! This groat pie is absolutely delicious and even though this recipe makes a ton of food, it barely lasted one day in House Geeky Chef. All hail the Great Serpent!

 

 

 

 Ingredients

 

For the pie dough (skip if using premade):

• 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
• 2 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup ice water (or as needed)  

 

For the groat meat filling:

• 1 tablespoon oil or butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 pound ground ~80% lean beef 
• 1 pound ground goat meat*
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (divided)
• 1 teaspoon dulse seasoning (optional, or use tamari) 
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons fines herbes (or herb blend of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots
• 1 cup beef broth 
• Salt and pepper (to taste) 

 

* I realize ground goat meat can be hard to come by, so your next best bets for adding that pleasant gaminess are ground lamb or ground venison. If those are also a no-go, I'd roll with pork, or just do all beef.

 

For the potato topping: 

• 4 large russet potatoes (or about 4 pounds) 
• 4 to 6 tablespoons butter, chilled and diced
• 1/4 cup milk or cream
• 1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese (optional)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

 

 

Directions:

 

 For the pie dough (skip if using premade):

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.  
2. Add the cold butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. You can also pulse it in a food processor, if you have one.
3. Gradually add in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing it gently with a fork or your hands until the dough just comes together. It should hold together when pressed but not be sticky or wet.  
4. Divide the dough into two equal disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

 

For the filling:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the two meats together and season with one tablespoon of Worcestershire, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. 
2. Heat the oil or butter in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to brown.
3. Add the ground meat. Break it apart with a wooden spoon, then add the dulse, onion powder, garlic powder, herbs, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned.
4. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, flour, and tomato paste.  Mix until fully incorporated and no clumps remain. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Pour in the beef broth, then fold in the peas and carrots. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened to a gravy-like consistency.  
6. Remove from heat and adjust the seasonings to taste. Cover and set aside. 

 

For the potato topping:

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 
2. Cook until fork-tender, about 10–15 minutes. 
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then return them to the hot pot. Let them sit for 1 minute to evaporate the excess moisture.  
4. Add the butter, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash until smooth and well combined.  
5. Stir in the cheese cheese until evenly mixed.

 

Assembly and baking: 

1. Grease 2 deep dish pie plates, 1 10-inch cast iron skillet, or one medium casserole dish.
2.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough out an inch or two bigger than your baking vessel(s) (this will vary depending on what you're using). 
3. Line your baking dish with the pie dough, trimming any excess. 
4. Scoop the filling into the baking dish(es) and spread evenly.
5. Optionally, transfer the mashed potatoes into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (or any sturdy tip you prefer).  Pipe the potatoes over the filling in swirls or rosettes. If you don't want to both with this, you can just spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, then spread them out evenly.
6. Set your baking vessel (or vessels) on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow.  Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until heated through and golden on top.  Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

Serves 12 to 16 hungry spacefarers

 

Vegetarian Version: Swap in a pound of chopped flavorful mushrooms, browning them when it says to brown the meat. Then, add in a pound of green or black lentils with the broth. For the broth, swap it with mushroom stock or veggie broth. You may need more broth because the lentils will absorb a fair amount. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I am indeed the recipe developer behind Starfield: The Official Cookbook, this is not an official recipe. All rights for Starfield (and its expansions) remain with Bethesda Game Studios.