Discussion
I'd like to eat pie next week.
I have some nice stewing steak from the butchers that I can use.
However I'd like to cook the meat and filling over the weekend and then roll out a pastry lid one night in the week, bung it on top and cook for half an hour before serving.
Don't mind using shop bought puff pastry or short crust or whatever would be best?
Is this a feasible thing or is it better all done at once?
Suggested recipes very much welcome.
I have some nice stewing steak from the butchers that I can use.
However I'd like to cook the meat and filling over the weekend and then roll out a pastry lid one night in the week, bung it on top and cook for half an hour before serving.
Don't mind using shop bought puff pastry or short crust or whatever would be best?
Is this a feasible thing or is it better all done at once?
Suggested recipes very much welcome.
Yep, precook the filling, as it always tastes better after a day or two.
Personally, I'd make complete pies and then freeze them... that way, no faffing about during the week, just take pie out of freezer & bung in the oven for 40 mins or so.
Oh, and remember... if it only has a lid... it's not a proper pie.
(I probably just opened a can of worms there...!)
Personally, I'd make complete pies and then freeze them... that way, no faffing about during the week, just take pie out of freezer & bung in the oven for 40 mins or so.
Oh, and remember... if it only has a lid... it's not a proper pie.
(I probably just opened a can of worms there...!)
Mmmmm sounds good to me.
Coat the steak in heavily seasoned flour, brown in a hot pan. Chuck in some peeled shallots, maybe some roughly chopped carrots, add a little water and maybe a beef stock cube or those stock pots, splash of red wine. Simmer, thicken up with some cornflour in water and then pie it up!
Coat the steak in heavily seasoned flour, brown in a hot pan. Chuck in some peeled shallots, maybe some roughly chopped carrots, add a little water and maybe a beef stock cube or those stock pots, splash of red wine. Simmer, thicken up with some cornflour in water and then pie it up!
Check out some of the videos and suggestions HERE
http://www.windmillmayfair.co.uk/pie-club.php
The Port and Stilton is an absolute must.. It' is now my go to pie.. Having won me a couple of Pie Cook offs..!
The Pub is great too, if you are ever in Londonville.
Pie Night.
http://www.windmillmayfair.co.uk/pie-club.php
The Port and Stilton is an absolute must.. It' is now my go to pie.. Having won me a couple of Pie Cook offs..!
The Pub is great too, if you are ever in Londonville.
Pie Night.
Edited by bridgdav on Saturday 10th January 05:49
Ultimate Shepherds Pie. Served this for New Year Party. Try it. You will be very happy
For about 6 people, or 6 individual pies
2 packets of chunks of fresh lamb, or a whole leg of lamb
5 shallots - peeled, finely chopped
3 sticks celery - fine dice
4 carrots - small chunks
4 garlic cloves - smashed or minced
Lamb Stock - those Knorr Stock Pots or cubes are fine
Red wine
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
2 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
chopped mint leaves (plus whole leaves for garnish)
tomato puree
HP Sauce
Bag of Maris Piper or King Edward spuds
Loadsa grated chedder
butter
double cream
DAY BEFORE EATING (or make well in advance and freeze )
If using leg of lamb - roast the lamb on a bed of extra bits of celery, carrot, garlic, shallot and lamb stock for the required time to get it medium cooked and crispy skin. (about 2 hours) Then let it cool a bit then slice it all up into chunky chunks
If using lamb chunks - coat with flour and seasoning and pan fry in batches to seal. Once they are cooked you'll probably want to dice them up into slightly smaller mouth sized chunks. (about the size of a dice or pound coin)
Put the lamb to one side and then - in a big pot - gently fry your finely chopped shallots and garlic until sweated down, then add carrots and celery and let it all gently simmer together. Then add 500ml lamb stock to the pot.
Also add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, a glass of red wine. the rosemary and thyme, the bay leaves, a good handful of chopped mint, a good squirt of tomato puree and a nice big squirt of HP Sauce.
Once that is all bubbling nicely add in your chopped lamb. You then want to let all this bubble very gently for a good couple of hours with a loose lid on. Keep an eye on it and if it looks too dry add more stock. You want a nice gloopy consistency to it - not too dry but also not too watery.
Once its had a good old cook down and you are happy with the taste (add salt and pepper as required, and maybe some worcestershire sauce if it needs a little zing) then let the pot cool and pick out the sticks of rosemary, thyme and the bay leaves.
Pour the mixture into one big pie dish or individual pies and leave it in fridge covered overnight to let it set
SERVING DAY - BOIL YOUR SPUDS
Boil up a big old pot of spuds for 20 mins to get your mash together - you will need plenty of mash
Drain spuds, let them stand for 10 mins in colander to dry out, then mash up to nice smooth mash, adding in lots of grated cheese into the mix. Add a little bit of butter and cream too - BUT NOT TOO MUCH - you want the mash to be quite dry and stiff so it doesnt sink into the sauce.
Get your pies out of fridge and add the mash topping - if you want to be fancy like we did you can put the mash in a piping bag and pipe it on in lines.
Add a sprinkle of grated cheese over the top of the mash
Put the finished pies in the oven at 180 for 40 mins - add a sprig of mint to the top of pie when finished
serve with petit pois on the side. (we made a mint butter to go on these - mash chopped mint into butter with a squirt of lemon juice, roll into a log on greaseproof paper, put in fridge overnight, then chop into discs)
you can also cover and freeze the complete pie or pies and use later
For about 6 people, or 6 individual pies
2 packets of chunks of fresh lamb, or a whole leg of lamb
5 shallots - peeled, finely chopped
3 sticks celery - fine dice
4 carrots - small chunks
4 garlic cloves - smashed or minced
Lamb Stock - those Knorr Stock Pots or cubes are fine
Red wine
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
2 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
chopped mint leaves (plus whole leaves for garnish)
tomato puree
HP Sauce
Bag of Maris Piper or King Edward spuds
Loadsa grated chedder
butter
double cream
DAY BEFORE EATING (or make well in advance and freeze )
If using leg of lamb - roast the lamb on a bed of extra bits of celery, carrot, garlic, shallot and lamb stock for the required time to get it medium cooked and crispy skin. (about 2 hours) Then let it cool a bit then slice it all up into chunky chunks
If using lamb chunks - coat with flour and seasoning and pan fry in batches to seal. Once they are cooked you'll probably want to dice them up into slightly smaller mouth sized chunks. (about the size of a dice or pound coin)
Put the lamb to one side and then - in a big pot - gently fry your finely chopped shallots and garlic until sweated down, then add carrots and celery and let it all gently simmer together. Then add 500ml lamb stock to the pot.
Also add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, a glass of red wine. the rosemary and thyme, the bay leaves, a good handful of chopped mint, a good squirt of tomato puree and a nice big squirt of HP Sauce.
Once that is all bubbling nicely add in your chopped lamb. You then want to let all this bubble very gently for a good couple of hours with a loose lid on. Keep an eye on it and if it looks too dry add more stock. You want a nice gloopy consistency to it - not too dry but also not too watery.
Once its had a good old cook down and you are happy with the taste (add salt and pepper as required, and maybe some worcestershire sauce if it needs a little zing) then let the pot cool and pick out the sticks of rosemary, thyme and the bay leaves.
Pour the mixture into one big pie dish or individual pies and leave it in fridge covered overnight to let it set
SERVING DAY - BOIL YOUR SPUDS
Boil up a big old pot of spuds for 20 mins to get your mash together - you will need plenty of mash
Drain spuds, let them stand for 10 mins in colander to dry out, then mash up to nice smooth mash, adding in lots of grated cheese into the mix. Add a little bit of butter and cream too - BUT NOT TOO MUCH - you want the mash to be quite dry and stiff so it doesnt sink into the sauce.
Get your pies out of fridge and add the mash topping - if you want to be fancy like we did you can put the mash in a piping bag and pipe it on in lines.
Add a sprinkle of grated cheese over the top of the mash
Put the finished pies in the oven at 180 for 40 mins - add a sprig of mint to the top of pie when finished
serve with petit pois on the side. (we made a mint butter to go on these - mash chopped mint into butter with a squirt of lemon juice, roll into a log on greaseproof paper, put in fridge overnight, then chop into discs)
you can also cover and freeze the complete pie or pies and use later
And don't discount suet crust pastry, it's ideal for beef flavoured pies, and proper rib sticking winter fare.
Recipe goes something like, twice as much flour as suet, good pinch of salt, mix dry then add cold water, a little at a time mixing until you get a firmish dough. Roll out and pie up!
As an extra bonus, you can then steam it to have a pudding instead of a pie if the fancy takes you.
For the filling, I read that a tin of oysters stewed in to a beef and Guinness filling makes it extra special, but I've never had the cojones to give it a try.
I've got a piddly little beef joint in the fridge (online shopping mistake from Mrs Cjelli) it may now have to be diced and pied this week.
Recipe goes something like, twice as much flour as suet, good pinch of salt, mix dry then add cold water, a little at a time mixing until you get a firmish dough. Roll out and pie up!
As an extra bonus, you can then steam it to have a pudding instead of a pie if the fancy takes you.
For the filling, I read that a tin of oysters stewed in to a beef and Guinness filling makes it extra special, but I've never had the cojones to give it a try.
I've got a piddly little beef joint in the fridge (online shopping mistake from Mrs Cjelli) it may now have to be diced and pied this week.
One of the sprogs got me the Tom Kerridge best ever recopies book for Christmas and I've had a go at the Cottage Pie with blue cheese mash.
Proper lush to coin a phrase but the beef part would make a lovely pie filling.
Usual chef type faffing but here's the recipe.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Pub-Food/Tom-Ke...
Proper lush to coin a phrase but the beef part would make a lovely pie filling.
Usual chef type faffing but here's the recipe.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Pub-Food/Tom-Ke...
One of the sprogs got me the Tom Kerridge best ever recopies book for Christmas and I've had a go at the Cottage Pie with blue cheese mash.
Proper lush to coin a phrase but the beef part would make a lovely pie filling.
Usual chef type faffing but here's the recipe.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Pub-Food/Tom-Ke...
Proper lush to coin a phrase but the beef part would make a lovely pie filling.
Usual chef type faffing but here's the recipe.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Pub-Food/Tom-Ke...
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