Brazilian recipe
Creamy Palm Heart Pie (Torta de palmito com massa podre)
A classic Brazilian savory pie featuring a rich, creamy palm heart filling encased in a delicate, buttery, and crumbly crust. Perfect for a special family meal or a sophisticated snack.
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Ingredients
300 g cooking margarine or lard
500 g all-purpose flour
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
Salt to taste
1 jar of hearts of palm (palmito)
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 onion, grated
Nutmeg to taste
Black pepper to taste
500 g all-purpose flour
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
Salt to taste
1 jar of hearts of palm (palmito)
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 onion, grated
Nutmeg to taste
Black pepper to taste
Where to find ingredients
Hearts of palm (palmito) can usually be found in the canned vegetable section of large supermarkets or at specialty stores that stock imported Latin American or exotic gourmet items. If you cannot find them, there is no direct culinary substitute that replicates the unique texture and taste of palm hearts, so it is best to source them from an international grocer. For the pastry, use standard high-quality chilled cooking margarine or fresh lard available at local butchers. All-purpose flour is widely available in any local grocery shop.
Preparation method
- Combine the margarine or lard, flour, lemon juice, egg, and salt in a bowl, mixing by hand until you get a coarse, crumb-like dough
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you start rolling it out
- For the filling, whisk the milk and 3 tablespoons of flour in a pan until smooth, ensuring there are no lumps, then place over heat
- Stir in the grated onion and half of the jar of hearts of palm, which you have blended beforehand with 1/2 cup of milk
- Cook the white sauce over low heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken
- Season the sauce with salt, nutmeg, and black pepper to your liking
- Fold in the remaining hearts of palm, chopped into bite-sized pieces, and mix thoroughly
- Press the chilled dough into your baking tin, using your hands to evenly cover the base and up the sides
- Pour the creamy palm heart mixture directly onto the prepared crust base
- Roll out the remaining dough to cover the pie, sealing the edges and creating a pattern on top as you prefer
- Bake in a preheated oven at a high temperature for about 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling
Observations
This savory palm heart pie is a true Brazilian comfort food classic. The "massa podre"—a traditional shortcrust-style pastry—is known for its signature melt-in-the-mouth, crumbly texture that perfectly balances the creamy, well-seasoned heart of palm filling. It’s a wonderfully versatile dish, ideal as a centerpiece for a light lunch, an elegant starter for dinner, or a hearty homemade treat. Making the crust requires a little care to get that perfect texture, but the result is well worth the effort. The filling is simple yet rich, allowing the delicate flavour of the palm hearts to shine through. Enjoy this pie warm for the best experience.
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