Woolton Pie (1941)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   I stumbled across "Woolton Pie" while doing a search.  There are 167 
Google hits.  
   OED (Yes, it's there!) also has 1941, although this is perhaps earlier 
than that pamphlet/book...Not American, but Quinion and Green have to eat 
something.
  
  
(GOOGLE GROUPS) 
From: <A HREF="http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=author:aclinch%40fox.nstn.ca+">Andrew Clinch</A> (<A HREF="mailto:aclinch%40fox.nstn.ca">aclinch at fox.nstn.ca</A>)
Subject: Re: WWII Rationing Recipies    
Newsgroups: <A HREF="http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.food.historic">rec.food.historic</A>
Date: 1995/04/09 
(...)
Woolton pie was a hotch-potch of diced root vegetables in white sauce or 
gravy topped with potato and named after Lord Woolton, who became Minister of Food 
in April 1940. A very well known dish but I can¹t find the recipe.
  
  
(ANCESTRY.COM)
   18 March 1941, MARION STAR (Marion, Ohio), pg. 6, col. 7:
_Lord Woolton Pie_
   Ben Robertson, writing in PM, recently passed along the recipe for Lord 
Woolton pie, a family dish in London's Savoy Hotel, where American journalists 
covering the battle of Britain make their headquarters.  The dish appears on 
the menu in French and is served with a lot of style.  Here's how to make it:
   Peel two large potatoes, two large carrots and one parsnip and cut into 
slices.  Wash them separately in water and drain them on a piece of linen.  
Mince two leeks, thrown them into a frying pan in which has been heated a spoonful 
of chicken fat, beef-dripping or diced hind (?--ed.) bacon.  When the leeks 
get colored, add the carrots and fry quickly, then add the parsnips and lastly 
the potatoes.  Season with salt, pepper, a little nutmeg and chopped parsley.  
Pour into pie dish and add one laurel leaf, a small cran (?--ilegible) of 
thyme, a piece if celery and one sprig parsley.  Sprinkle with a little chicken 
fat or margarine, add a cup or two of giblet soup or water, cover with a layer 
of paste made with half beef-dripping or chicken fat and half margarine.  Make 
a slit in the middle of the pie and bake in a moderate oven for one hour and 
a half.
   "Woolton pie is featured at luncheon," explains Robertson, "and it is 
probably the most elaborate way ever invented for cooking two potatoes, two 
carrots and a parsnip."