Food That Time Forgot: Onion Pie

Onion Pie is a strange food to us today. It was a staple food for folks in the 18th Century. Food That Time Forgot is about looking at food that used to be popular and wondering why it fell off the map. Eggs, apples, onions, and potatoes in a pie crust. What do you think?

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[margaretbarclay-laughton]

When my parents got married in 1934 in the village mum came from women would still make a steak pie and take it to the bakers in the morning, when the baker had finished with their oven for the day they would put things that had been brought in into the oven to make use of the residual heat it meant that folks who worked in the Mills or mines could come home to a hot meal.

[VPCh.]

I've noticed that the local geology plays a big factor into how they use onions.
Onions are much stronger and pungent if the soil is sulfur rich.
Regions that are rich in sulfur treat them as a strong flavoring compound that can be used more like a spice.
Sulfur poor areas treat it more like an apple, using it like a sweetener in dishes.
As an example, the Vidalia sweet onion can be practically eaten raw like an apple since it is so sweet and mild, but if you grew it anywhere other than the low sulfur basins in Georgia, it would taste like a regular onion.

[DonnaMSchmid]

Bakers also served the job of "renting out" their ovens even in modern times! During the 30s and 40s, many home ovens were very small compared with today's ovens, so larger items wouldn't fit. My grandparents had a bakery in Philadelphia, and for Thanksgiving and Christmas, they baked hundreds of roasters of turkey, ham, and roast beefs for a small fee. People would bring in their roasters already prepared the way they wanted it, which would be tagged and the customer would say when they wanted to pick it up! Grandmom and Grandpop would then roast everything according to the proper schedule.

[vahneb]

Onion pie is still made several times a year at our home. It was my grandmother’s favorite so we still make it on holidays and in the summer when we have an over abundance of veggies from the garden.

[abracadaverous]

I've always found that apples, onions, and potatoes go really well together. Think latkes with applesauce.

[chabis]

In Switzerland we just don't close the pie. Our version of onion pie is still a very common dish you can also get at take-aways, in supermarkets and in bakeries. Hot or cold.

[Arcturus]

"It's hard to imagine a Dinner was just cheese, liquid and bread"
Me: 😅👀

[CassiopeiaHughes-mhbt]

The ratio of butter to flour for the pie crust you mentioned completely removed any sort of fear I had around pie crusts! I used this same method for a blackberry pie and all my relatives asked me for the crust recipe! Thank you for explaining things so well Ryan, when I watch you cook I feel as if I’m being taught by a master who knows how to simplify his craft!

[montgomerypatterson]

I love this guy's authenticity. Really makes it a great and enjoyable experience to watch.

[Ardoxsho]

I'm old enough to rememeber taking trays of stuffed vegetables and vegetable pies to the baker. This was Northwestern Italy in the 1970s, at our summer house back at the village. It was fun to help Grandma make the pies or vegetables, then wrapping the trays in kitchen towels, and walking to the baker together.

[TheBottegaChannel]

I've eaten potato pancakes with shreaded caramelized onion and apple sauce, so it's no surprise all those flavors go together. ❤

[Fuerwahrhalunke]

My grandma used to make Zwiebelkuchen (Onion cake), with the same ingredients, though a little finer, for special occasions. You just brought the idea back. I will try this myself 🙂

[melaniemassicotte]

You mentionned Québec's earthen oven. In some country roads named for farmers called 'rangs', you sometimes had an communial earthen oven built next to the road since they were far away from their town. Those that are closer to it would heat in up in the morning and they would get paid in bread and pies left next to it by the other farmers that used it that day.

[Jackielong-sighted]

The pie really is the hearty big brother to the sandwich, never has the convenience of being able to eat a whole meal in such compact form been matched.

[johncarter]

You've found your "flow" excellent presentation!

[hankscorpio]

Here in Bavaria, the Zwiebelkuchen, or Onion Cake is still a very common dish nowadays. We season it with Kümmel

[ecothunderbolt]

Onion Pie makes a lot of sense. Similar to your prior video on Onion Soup. I imagine this was a valuable addition to the lives of so many people of less means. I love exploring the history of the common folk.

[InTheWind_]

This gentleman is a very engaging teacher. I learn so much and enjoy every minute!

[santworth]

I'm spanish, my family and I eat a salad made of exactly that ingredients. Potatoes, apple onion and eggs with some olive oil or mayo and its great!. It reminds me of some german kartoffelsalat. <3

[majorfallacy]

That combination of ingredients is still fairly common in Switzerland (eg Rösti, although the egg is mostly just a binder)