The Classic Series: The Pie

The pie is such a classic that it clearly had to be part of this series.  

So with all the research, what did we learn about the pie? Well, firstly I learnt the people around me are wrong about what makes a pie a pie.  My brother James and I were talking when I first started testing and researching pies and he said for a pie to be a proper pie it needs to have a bottom.  Of course it does not!  A lid of pastry still makes it a pie surely?  I said this to Rhona who blew my mind by agreeing with James. 

So what is a pie and how is it defined?  Well a pie is classed as a baked dish enclosed with pastry and containing a filling - either meat, vegetables or fruit.  So nothing mentioned about needing a base and, if it is in a dish then a lid seals it and encloses it.  Doesn't it? 

I stand by my thoughts that the pastry is what makes it a pie, even if it is just a lid .  What do you think? Do they need a top and bottom or is a simple pastry lid ok.

Well, to me the first thing that makes a great pie is lots of filling.  If you scrimp on the filling then it feels all pastry and no pie and then I feel cheated. This is especially true of smaller pies where the pastry to filling ratio is naturally different to that of a larger pie.

The second thing that makes a great pie is great pastry.  Don't let the thought of making pastry put you off of making a pie. I tend to make shortcrust and buy all butter puff unless I have lots of time on my hands.   Don't be scared to make shortcrust pastry, it is easy once you have made it a few times, it just takes practice and you can patch if need be, nobody will see.  Shop bought shortcrust is also good so if you don't want to tackle making pastry but like the idea of a homemade pie, buy the pastry.   With puff pastry don't be scared to buy it, making puff - or rough puff - takes hours.  Home made puff does taste divine but so long as you buy the all butter puff pastry then it will taste fabulous and I am sure nobody but you will notice or know.

If you do decide to make your shortcrust pastry then the thing to remember is that as it chills in the fridge it will get hard thanks to the butter so, if it is in the fridge over an hour then just remove it from the fridge for 10-15 mins to let it relax a little, otherwise it is too tight and will be very difficult to roll.

Seik-thar puff – Burmese lamb puffs

We have tested quite a few recipes for this blog and for a more consistent result I have now decided that the best way to cook a pie with a pastry base is to cook the base a little before adding the filling.  I like to know that the pastry base will be fully cooked and not soggy or undercooked at all because raw pastry is just revolting.  Most recipes don't usually cook the pastry first but I definitely think it is worthwhile.  If there is a base I now always bake this first by lining the dish with the pastry then and putting baking paper and beans in and cooking for 10 mins and before removing the beans and cooking for a further 10-15 mins - until the base loses its 'wet' look.  It does not need to brown but does need to set.

Each and every home made pie is comforting and delicious and the amazing smells that will fill your home will have everybody eagerly waiting for it to finish cooking.  Whilst typing this up Matt appeared saying "how long for dinner?  Smells amazing!" And it was not even half way through cooking.  How did it taste?  More amazing than I can tell you.

Leftover beef stew pies

There are many wonderful pies and if you really want to have a pie worth the calories then make it at home and you will not be sorry.  There is no doubt about it that making a pie from start to finish is rarely a quick meal but, if done on a weekend you can space it out throughout the day so it is less labour intensive. 

So where do you start with your pie?  Always start with the filling, if it needs to be cooked then it will need time to cool down because you cannot put anything warm on pastry as it will melt the butter and make the pastry impossible to work with and you may want to scream.  Can you tell I fell foul of this?

So in terms of time, for instance if you are making the beef and ale pie or the beef and chorizo pie then you can make the filling in the morning (or you could even make the filling the day before to really give time for the flavours to develop) very low and slow to give the meat time to soften - especially if you use shin as it needs time to break down and soften.  Also remember that this will largely be hands off time.  Leave the filling to cool throughout the day and then make the pastry a little later in the afternoon before assembling and cooking. 

For your meat you will want to brown it in batches.  Don't overcrowd the pan because then it won't brown properly and you won't get that same deep gorgeous flavour in the final dish.  When adding the onion and veg you need to scrape the meat flavours off of the bottom of the pan.

The easiest way to line your pastry tin is to roll out your pastry on your board and then gently wrap the pastry around your rolling pin and then unroll over the tin and gently tease into the edges.

What to serve with your pie?  Glazed veg, mash, baked beans or just some ketchup over the top of a deep rich meat pie, the possibilities are endless.

Aside from the beef and ale, our favourite is probably the chorizo and beef pie (look away now James/Rhona as this only has a lid - although it also happens to be Rhona's favourite pie which made me giggle), which is one of the tastiest pies you will ever have.  You need to use chorizo style sausages and not cured chorizo.  The smokiness really does add to the deliciousness and as it cooks slowly it turns into something magical.

If you like little pies then you cannot go wrong with our little chicken or turkey pot pies - so delicious.  They are also great because you can cook a batch and freeze some - if they last that long.  You could always use the beef and ale or beef and chorizo filling for small pot pies, you will just need to chop the meat a little smaller.

I also recently made Mimi Aye's Burmese pies which are lamb and puff pastry and so utterly moreish it is ridiculous.  You will smell them cooking and then burn your mouth because you will not want to wait for them to cool.  Vegans/vegetarians you can use quorn in these and I just used vegan butter in my attempt so if you are a veggie do try.

For a Mexican twist try the empanada, a beautifully spiced soft pasty pie or for a pie with a real punch try our Jamaican inspired patties.

If you like sweet pies you cannot go wrong with cherry pie - great with either fresh or frozen cherries and a large spoonful of clotted cream.  Or for something different - the French pie of tarte tatin, either apple or cherry.

I do really hope that you try one of our pies, they really are delicious and worth every calorie.

Let me know what you try and what you think.