Pie Recipes
Source: BBC Good Food
It's British Pie Week. Celebrate this quintessential dish, honouring the rich history of pie making in Britain, with a selection of classic recipes for you to try.
At this time of year, there are still some days we crave a comfort dish like a pie. With endless varieties to warm our hearts and plates, take a look at some of our favourites.
FISH PIE
INGREDIENTS
340-400g fish pie mix
600g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks or slices
50g unsalted butter for potatoes
100g unsalted butter for sauce
3 heaped tablespoons flour
400ml milk
100g frozen peas
1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°.
Put the potatoes into a large pan and add enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer until soft. Drain the potatoes, add butter and mash until smooth. Mix and scatter the fish pie mix in the bottom of a deep oven proof dish, season with salt and pepper. Scatter the peas on top of the fish pie mix.
To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a pan, before adding the flour to it. Whisk the butter and flour and then added a little milk. Keep whisking the mixture and adding more and more milk as you go. Keep the pan on a medium to high heat.
The mixture quickly thickens, but don't make the sauce too thick. Just add as much milk as you think and get the sauce to the texture you think is best. When you are happy with the sauce, season with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.
Pour the sauce over your the top of your fish and peas, and top with the mashed potato. Put it in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes. Once cooked, take out of the oven and serve.
STEAK & ALE PIE
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp vegetable oil
100g smoked bacon lardons or smoked bacon, chopped
1kg beef shin, cut into large chunks
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp malt or red wine vinegar
1 tsp brown miso paste (optional)
400ml sweet brown ale
600ml beef stock made from 2 stock cubes
few thyme sprigs, stalks and leaves separated
2 bay leaves
For the pastry:
700g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp English mustard powder
150g lard
150g butter, plus extra for the dish
2 egg yolks, beaten
METHOD
Heat ½ tbsp oil over a gentle heat in a flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and cook for 5 mins until softening. Scatter over the thyme and garlic, and stir for 1 min. Turn up the heat and add the chicken, frying until golden but not fully cooked. Add the mushrooms and the remaining oil. Heat oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 6.
Chicken, Leek & Bacon Pie
1 ½kg whole corn-fed chicken
½ tsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3-4 thyme sprigs
1 onion, halved
1 celery stick
4 large or medium eggs
25g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
6 bacon rashers, cut into large pieces
2 leeks, thinly sliced
2 tbsp plain flour thinly sliced
2 tbsp grainy mustard
4 tbsp crème fraîche
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
squeeze of lemon juice
250g bought puff pastry or home-made rough puff
beaten egg, for glazing
METHOD
Put the chicken into a deep pan that is just large enough to hold it quite snugly. Pour in enough water to half-cover the bird, then tip in the peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, onion and celery. Add ½ tsp salt and bring to the boil on the hob, then reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer for 1 hr-1 hr 15 until tender.
Transfer the chicken to a plate. Strain 425ml of the stock into a measuring jug (top up with water if you need to). Strip the meat off the chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a 1.7-litre pie dish.
Put the eggs in boiling water and boil for 6 minutes. Drain, cool them under cold water and remove the shells. Quarter the eggs and nestle them in the pie dish among the chicken pieces.
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Add the leeks and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock a third at a time, stirring continuously and making sure the sauce is thick and smooth before adding the next batch. Stir in the mustard, crème fraîche and parsley, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper to taste. Add salt if needed. Spoon over the chicken and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Reserve a quarter of the pastry for decoration and roll out the remainder to a shape about 5cm larger than the top of the pie dish, then cut a 2.5cm strip from all round the edge. Brush the edge of the dish with water and stick the pastry strip to it. Brush the strip with water. Flip the pastry lid over the rolling pin, lift it up and unroll over the pie. Press the edge on to the pastry strip to seal, and trim any excess with a sharp knife.
Tap the blade of a small sharp knife all along the outside edge of the pastry (this helps the edge to rise during cooking), then flute it using the back of the knife. Make a hole in the lid centre with the tip of the knife, to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
Roll out the pastry you put aside earlier. Cut 8 long strips each about 1cm wide, and two more strips each about 4cm wide. Cut the wider strips diagonally to make eight diamond leaf shapes. Mark the veins of the leaves with the tip of a sharp knife. Brush the pastry lid with beaten egg, then lay the eight thin strips on top, as in the picture. Brush again with egg and arrange the leaves in the centre, between the strips. Brush with egg.
Chill the pie for 15 mins, if you have time, to set the pastry. Will keep in the fridge for one day – just add 4-5 mins to baking time. Bake for 30-35 mins until the pastry is crisp, puffed up and deep golden brown.