Pithivier

{{Short description|Round, enclosed French pie}}

{{Infobox prepared food

| name = Pithiviers

| image = Pithiviers de faisan.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption =

| alternate_name =

| country = France

| region = Pithiviers

| creator =

| course =

| type = Pie

| served =

| main_ingredient = Puff pastry, frangipane of almond paste if sweet.

| variations =

| calories =

| other =

}}

File:Pithiviers fondat.jpg

A pithivier ({{IPAc-en|lang|p|ɪ|t|ɪ|ˈ|v|j|eɪ}};[https://web.archive.org/web/20151006114143/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/pithivier Oxford Dictionary – pithivier] {{langx|fr|pithiviers}}, {{IPA|fr|pitivje|IPA|Fr-Paris--Pithiviers.ogg}}) is a round, enclosed pie usually made by baking two disks of puff pastry, with a filling stuffed in between.{{Cite book |last=Lister |first=Tess |title=A Handful of Flour: Recipes from Shipton Mill |date=June 30, 2016 |publisher=Headline |isbn=9781472233387}} It has the appearance of a hump and is traditionally decorated with spiral lines drawn from the top outwards with the point of a knife, and scalloping on the edge. It is named after the French town of Pithiviers,{{Cite news |last=Cloake |first=Felicity |date=2022-02-16 |title=How to make the perfect cheese-and-potato pithivier – recipe |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/feb/16/how-to-make-the-perfect-cheese-and-potato-pithivier-recipe-felicity-cloake |access-date=2024-04-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} where the dish is commonly assumed to originate.

A small mound of filling is positioned at the centre of the underneath layer of pastry, rather than spread on it, so as to prevent it from leaking during baking. The pie is traditionally finished with a distinct shine to the top of the crust, by brushing on an egg wash beforehand,{{cite web |title=Pithivier Recipe James Martin with ingredients,nutritions,instructions and related recipes |url=https://www.tfrecipes.com/pithivier-recipe-james-martin/ |website=www.tfrecipes.com |access-date=13 October 2022 |language=en}} or by caramelising a dusting of confectioner's sugar at the end of baking, or both.

It is similar to the {{lang|fr|galette des rois}} made for Epiphany made in the northern half of France although the pithivier is made all year round.{{cite web |last1=Major |first1=Debbie |title=Classic almond pithivier |url=https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/classic-almond-pithivier/ |website=delicious. magazine |access-date=13 October 2022}}

The filling of the pithivier is often a sweet cream of almonds and not frangipane as in the galette des rois, but savoury pies with vegetable, meat or cheese filling can also be called pithivier.{{cite web |last1=Major |first1=Debbie |title=Potato, leek and stilton pithivier |url=https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/potato-leek-and-stilton-pithivier/ |website=delicious. magazine |access-date=13 October 2022}}