There is a type of pie strongly associated with Scotland which has aesthetic and health dangers that justify its inclusion here amongst the sinister pies. It is the Fried Pie – which is just what it says, a baked pie cooked a second time by frying. Scotland is not called the Land of the Brave for nothing. ~ Janet Clarkson
Grandma Gibson didn’t bake her pies first. They always took a trip straight to the frying pan and then onto the plate. She was frugal with both coin and effort, and that may have been the most expedient way to get food on the table. Alternatively, her parents and grandparents may have passed the recipe down to her, and it stuck. As an aside, she was likely of either German or Scottish descent. Either way, blood tells. It is noteworthy that though her pies were fried, they never tasted greasy, even after being refrigerated.
So, into the fray. How did these pies get onto Southern tables?
Where Did These Bakers--or Perhaps Fryers--- Come From?
The answer is: south from where they landed, then west from the Carolinas. Probably. What I know for sure is that that is where Grandma Gibson’s U.S. ancestors* came from. Based on an article published by Western Carolina University, political unrest launched migration from Scotland, Ireland, and England in the 18th century. Though many of these desperate souls landed on the Atlantic Seaboard in Pennsylvania, thousands of them eventually made their way down to the Carolinas. This was due, at least in part, to financial constraints. *I refer to Grandma Gibson rather than the maternal side of the family because those are the pies I remember. My brother remembers the Perry side and is more than welcome to offer a guest blog post with an alternate view. I cannot address something I do not recall.
While Pennsylvania’s gently rolling hills and its mountains in the west reminded travelers of home, the new arrivals had to balance opportunities to provide food and shelter for their families against acquisition costs. These factors drew immigrants south to Virginia, then the Carolinas. As more and more newcomers made the trek across the pond, the population continued to spread, down to Georgia and Florida, and over to Tennessee.
What's Up with the Filling Revisions?
Recall from the Pasty blog post that both England and Scotland had handheld pies hundreds of years before their residents started heading in this direction. While the primary purpose of their handhelds was lunch portability for working men, there are references to occasionally including dried fruit in one end of their pastry handhelds, so there was a precedent for including something sweet. In any case, when the newcomers arrived, they brought their recipes and cooking methods with them. In the British Isles, the contents of a handheld were usually savory and usually for those who wouldn’t be in the house at dinner time.*When I was growing up, we usually called the midday meal dinner. The evening meal was supper.
Consider this, though. Those people never had it easy. They used what was available: root vegetables and meat or fish if they had it, and they adapted availability according to need. If they moved to the countryside in this country, they were likely farming. According to the Gilder Lehrman Institute, in the mid to late 19th century, about 75% of the rural population had farming operations. That means miners were in the minority.
Men in agricultural occupations were more likely to be at home for meals. There was no need for a handheld to provide protein and root vegetables. So, forget the need to bundle meat and veg. To take that a step further, if there were fruit trees, it makes sense that they would use the ingredients at hand–apples and peaches, for example. Those could be available year-round once they were dried.
But Weren't Handhelds Baked in the Old Country?
As to the cooking method, once families found permanent housing in a new location, they had options. They would have brought their sturdy cookware to their new homes if at all possible, but not every tool is perfect for every task.
If the goal was to make a small pie, it was best to get it done quickly. To bake a pie would require burying a Dutch oven in ashes for an extended period. Alternatively, the cook time was less than ten minutes to heat lard in a cast-iron skillet and fry that fruit-filled crust to a golden brown. Am I speculating? Yes, I am. Even outside sources, such as the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Art suggests that the history of the fried pie is murky, so I consider myself as worthy of guessing as anyone else. For that topic, anyway.
Claims to Fried Pie Fame
I was interested to read an article published by the Charlotte Observer. It’s from way back in 2011 and laid out, with some degree of certainty, the fried pie origins. Additionally, it included specific states that lay claim to producing fried pies: North Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and a few in Tennessee. This surprises me, since I have a hard time believing any one state owns the rights to these tasty, fried half-moons. And the idea that the South came up with the idea is a stretch, given my theories offered above. Of course, I may be misinterpreting. Could the author be referencing commercially produced fried pies and not the Grandma-type productions? Perhaps.
Your experience might be different from mine, but I have never had a commercially manufactured fried pie that tasted anything like my grandma’s pies. The ones I’ve tried included a too-sweet filling, plus a sugar glaze on the pastry. Neither is necessary nor desirable in my view. The extra sugar makes them sweeter, not better. As I whine about those impostors, I am trying to remember the last time I had a homemade fried pie. That was probably more than a decade ago when Mother made them, and they were quite good. Before that, the last one would have been in the late 80s, before I moved away from my hometown. You know, the one in which Grandma Gibson and her iron skillet resided.
Yes, I’m grown now, and I have my own skillet, but it is only recently that I have thought of those pies. I have the recipe on hand; the lard and flour are waiting in the pantry. My Amazon order for dried apples is on the way. Apparently, you can get apple chips in the supermarket now, but not dried apples for cooking unless it’s for a 4th quarter holiday. Go figure. If I’m wrong about that, please tell me which aisle to visit. When my apples arrive, I’ll try my hand at duplicating my grandmother’s pies. I wish I had paid closer attention while she was here. Wish me luck.
Good piece and very good memories. I recall both grandmothers making fried pies though mother would be the best source. Grandmother Perry may have made apple too but for sure made peach pies from her peach tree. I would happily climb the tree and get the highest ones. That usually lead to me dropping down on the roof of the house which was not good for the shingles. Of course, Grandmother Perry never told me not to do anything. Not so for Grandmother Gibson.
I do recall that Grandma Perry never chastised you. Ever. 😉
Loved your article. My mother dried her own apples on top of the henhouse so we were delighted when she made them. Good advice to you as you make your as your fingers will be too close to the hot grease. Be very careful as you turn them and good luck. And be careful to not make too thick a crust Good luck
I just fried the first two. Pastry too thin and grease too hot. Not pretty, but they taste good. Will have another go in a bit.
Gayle, I really did enjoy your thoughts. We are so blessed to have such precious memories!
We most certainly are. I wish I had had more curiosity about a lot of things then.
Great look back on family and tradition! My first fried pie was an empanada that a Hispanic friend’s family would cook up for backyard football games. The Poles have pierogi, filled with potato, or sweet farmer cheese, sauerkraut, mushroom, boiled then browned in butter and served with bacon bits, sour cream or whatever you like. Then later a friend that makes Bierock, the German version with ground beef and sauerkraut. But most of all I think I miss McDonald’s fried apple pie, served at volcanic temperature! As always thanks for the memories my friend!
Considering the pasties in the UK, the empanadas in Spain, and the pierogi in Poland, it will be nigh unto impossible to determine a clear origin of fried fruit pies. Hungry people figure out how to solve that problem, however they can. I’m still thinking the commodities available influenced the cooking method and the contents of the pastry, but I could be wrong. It’s a common occurrence. In any case, my dried apples should arrive today, and I’ll see if I can appropriately honor my grandmother’s memory with flour, fat (lard), and fruit. 😉