Pies used to transport edible wares date back to the Egyptians, where honey and nuts were carted about in pastry cases. Nowadays you’re more likely to find your pie stuffed with a meaty concoction covered in liquor, but there’s no limit to pie filling possibilities – as 4Food discovered…
The great thing about pies is you can eat the packaging. Not the Fray Bentos tin, numb nut, but the actual pastry case. So not only are they deliciously indulgent but they help to reduce waste too. (That’s waste with an ‘e’, not the other kind, unfortunately.) But while pies themselves are pukka, the fillings inside are in much need of a rethink. Why draw the line at meat and gravy? Or stop recipes short at a pile of stewed fruit? 4Food set out to push the parameters and discover exactly what you can bake in a pie.
Salt and vinegar with your pie?
Despite its ancient origins, you can’t help thinking British when you think pie, so first on the makeover list was the nation’s favourite – fish and chips.
Having decided on a top crust of puff pastry to keep the carb intake down, we parboiled some potatoes and briefly poached some haddock. Then it was simply a case of layering the softened spuds, flaked fish, a tin of mushy peas and some tartar sauce then bunging it in the oven at 180°C for 25 minutes.
OK, it was more fish and mash pie than fish and chip but the smoky fish, buttery pastry and tangy sauce was a match made in marine heaven.
A pie from the East
Next we journeyed east to try our hand at curry pie. Having rustled up a tiger prawn curry and left it to cool, we lined a pie dish with some shortcrust pastry poured our filling inside and topped it with a shortcrust lid. After 20 minutes in the oven we were in for a treat. Think Cornish pasty with extra spice.
Give it the boot
Any culinary venture worth its salt has to charter Italian waters, so we had a crack at a spag Bol pie. Conscious the reworked recipe would be a bit carb-tastic, we slimmed down the spaghetti and snipped it into shortcut pieces. But alas it was in vain. The pasta was dense and chewy, and even a conservative slice was too much on the jaw.
The rules of pie
As pastry is a pretty subtle portal, most meals taste delicious when baked in a pie. It’s just a case of balancing texture. Tinned spaghetti in the Bolognese may have fared better or a simple filling of pasta-free sauce. But whatever the recipe, we’re talking edible litter. Put down your chip wrappers and eat to save the world.
Fish shop pie recipe
Ingredients
500g potatoes, peeled and chopped
250g smoked haddock
300g tin mushy peas
A pinch of dried mint
A few dollops of tartar sauce
160g puff pastry
Milk for poaching
Beaten egg for glazing
Method: How to make fish shop pie
Parboil the potatoes for about 10 minutes until just starting to soften. Meanwhile place the fish in a pan cover with milk and poach gently for about five minutes. Take the fish off the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Place the softened potatoes on the base of a pie dish giving them a slight mash as you lay them down. Drain the fish and place the fish flakes on top of the mash.
Spread the mushy peas on top with a sprinkling of mint and two or three generous dollops of tartar sauce.
Roll out the puff pastry – shop bought is fine – then cover the pie, making a small indentation in the middle and brush with the beaten egg. Bake at 180˚C for between 20 and 25 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown.
Tiger prawn curry pie recipe
Ingredients
See tiger prawn curry recipe
Plus 300g shortcrust pastry
Beaten egg for glazing
Method: How to make tiger prawn curry pie
Follow the recipe for tiger prawn curry but take the curry off the heat before the prawns are fully cooked.
Leave to cool slightly while you roll out your pastry and butter your pie dish. Line the dish with a pastry casing trimming the excess to serve as a lid.
When the curry is nicely cooled spoon onto the pastry base and top with a pastry lid. Make a small indentation in the centre of the topping, brush with the beaten egg and bake at 180˚C for between 20 and 25 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown.
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