Kare Pan Pot Pie (Japanese Curry Pot Pie)

About this Recipe

In 2009, Fuji Bakery opened in Seattle’s International District with a buzz. The owner, Akihiro Nakamura, had hired Takahito Hirai, a young pastry chef who trained at the highly-rated Château Restaurant in Tokyo, owned by the legendary Joël Robuchon. I was a budding culinarian at that point, living in Seattle, a moderately-sized city that had a small but mighty food scene. So this opening was a big deal.

Behind the glass partition of the tiny space, a myriad of beautifully crafted pastries showcased a combination of French technique and Japanese flavors and traditions, such as pastry cream flavored with yuzu and passionfruit curd. These days, those flavor combinations are pretty standard to see on menus, but back then, this was new and innovative to me. My favorite item on their menu was their kare pan buns stuffed with Japanese beef curry, then coated in panko and fried. On the bite, the crisp exterior shell gave way to a tender layer of lightly sweetened dough that encompassed a piping-hot center of savory, comforting curry. I had eaten kare pan before, but this was the best I’d ever had. I became a regular after that. 10 years later, I found myself working in Japan shooting culinary documentaries for National Parks of Japan, and it was one of the main items I was sure to seek out during my time there.

Fuji Bakery was later sold in 2017, three years after I left Seattle for NYC, so I cannot speak to the current quality of execution, but they are still open in the region.

It was with this version of kare pan I had in mind when creating this recipe: a crisp and doughy exterior with a warm savory center. I take the Ground Beef Japanese Curry recipe I wrote for the NYT Cooking and increase the volume to fill the skillet. I top the skillet with store-bought puff pastry (I prefer all-butter Dufour), then top the pastry with panko and bake. The end result is bubbling curry with a dramatic and beautifully golden, puffed and crisp top. All the comfort of a kare pan in an equally comforting skillet pot pie style bake. I love the curry recipe as is, but this is a nice way to bring a little elevation to the humble dish while still remaining cozy and adding a little drama and texture.

Feel free to make it vegetarian by using your favorite faux-ground meat. I have tested this recipe with Beyond Meat and it worked really well. Dufour makes vegan and gluten-free puff pastry options, if those are your preferences.

Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Instructions

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and when it shimmers, add the ground beef, a generous pinch of salt and a couple pinches of ground pepper. Using a spatula, break up the beef and spread it into one layer on the skillet. Let cook undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir and push the beef to one side of the skillet, add the onion to the other side and season the onion lightly with salt. Let cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stir all the ingredients to combine and continue to cook, about 3 minutes more.
3. Stir in the carrots and potato and cook until the edges begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the roux bricks and 2 cups of water and stir, breaking up the bricks until they melt into a sauce and start bubbling. Cover, lower heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced into a rich, viscous sauce, about 15 minutes. If the sauce has reduced to the point of drying at the bottom of the skillet, gradually add up to ½ cup water, a few tablespoons at a time, to reach the desired consistency.
5. Stir in the peas and turn off heat. Let pan and mixture cool while the oven heats. Heat oven to 425 degrees
6. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt and stir until the breadcrumbs are coated. Cut the puff pastry into a square the fits the top of the skillet with about a 1-inch over hang on the corners, about 13-14 inches.
7. Once the skillet is warm but not hot, place the puff pastry on top, leaving the edges exposed to allow steam to escape. Brush a thick layer of egg wash on top of the dough then top with the breadcrumbs, gently pressing them into the dough to adhere.
8. Place the skillet on top of a sheet tray and place in the oven and bake until puffed and golden in places, 20-25 minutes. Turn the oven to 375 degrees and continue to bake until the top is deep golden brown and crisp, 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool, 10-15 minutes, then serve.

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