Dutch Apple Pie

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Dutch Apple Pie sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Netherlands traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 64 minutes in a single skillet, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 9 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Add the flour, 150 gr of the sugar, pinch of salt and 1 egg yolk in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the bowl. Turn this into a firm dough. Don't over process, you do not want the dough to turn warm. Check if it sticks by pinching it between your fingers.
2. Step 2. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Make a round ball of it by using your hands and roll it into the plastic. Place into the fridge for half an hour to cool.
3. Step 3. Take a round baking tin of 22 cm diameter and cover this with baking paper. Brush the sides with butter.
4. Step 4. Preheat the oven to 170˚C (340˚F)
5. Step 5. Cut the apple into cubes and mix this with the raisins, the left over sugar and the cinnamon.
6. Step 6. Place the cooled dough on a flat surface sprinkled with flour and roll out into a thin sheet. Place this into the baking tin and cover the bottom and the sides well. I usually just press it into the tin without rolling it out. I find that the easiest way but it is less smooth. Just do whatever works for you.
7. Step 7. Make sure you keep 1/4 of the dough separate to form the strips on the top.
8. Step 8. Once the bottom and sides are covered with the dough, take the rusks and crumble them over the bottom. You can use breadcrumbs for this as well. Shake it a bit so it is divided equally across the bottom.
9. Step 9. Add the apple mixture and divide well over the tin. Rol out the rest of the dough and cut into strips. Place that over the top of the pie in a diamond shaped pattern. Brush the strokes and sides with the other egg yolk and place in the preaheated oven.
10. Step 10. Bake the apple pie for about 1 hour or until golden and cooked through. Leave to cool in the tin and make sure the sides are loose before opening the tin.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest skillet you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with netherlands roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 4-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.