British pie week

We are smack bang in the middle of fair trade fortnight, at the start of the month it was national bramley apple week  and right now we are getting well and truly stuck into British pie week.

Nowadays not a month tends to go by without one of these foods based promotional campaigns taking over our culinary calendar.
Although it can reach it can reach its ridiculous moments (national chip week 20th – 26^th February), most of the edible crusades are about championing British produce and arising awareness of certain products and their seasonality.
For 7 hardworking days the teams behind these projects work tirelessly and relentlessly through social media and lives events to try and make people like you and I more foodie conscious. For that reason I for one will be rallying behind these selfless promoters and immersing myself in any digestible week that heads my way.

 It had to be pie for this week’s recipe although my experience with the sometimes greasy hand held half time snack does not range broadly. There have been the times when  at my most weak and vulnerable, frozen stiff at the stables after mucking out 10 horses where my passion for the four legged beasts well over took the basic human instinct to stay inside nestled  in front of a fire instead of standing around in temperatures of -10. Times like these called for desperate measures and whatever could be rejuvenated inside our germ breeding ground of a microwave was hastily eaten no matter what it resembled, all that mattered was that it was an edible source of warmth that would heat us up from the insides out, which most of the time it was until you reached its stone cold interior.

Even though most of the things that I have eaten whist at work remain tasteless and/or have a distinct aroma of horse manure about them, there was the odd time when a generous friend would arrive with armfuls of chunky, gravy laden meat and potato pies and fruity, crispy pork and apple pasties all of which had been procured from our local bakery. Kept warm and eaten from their paper wrapper, the sensation in my toes began to resurface and I felt like I could withstand at least another 5 hours in the freezing temperatures.

 My only other on-going pie memory is one that (until now) I have never tried to recreate.

Growing up there is a handful of dishes in my mother’s repertoire that quite fondly have had a lasting imprint on my brain. Without going into too much detail one of the ones that still to this day manages to make me go gooey eyed and weak at the knees is her steak and potato pie.

With no offence meant to my mum, there was nothing especially fancy about it, I even think in the early days the meat came out of a tin (!). Thick cut pieces of juicy chunk steak and bite sized pieces of tender potato were wrapped lovingly by a homemade short crust pastry blanket and accompanied with a hearty spoonful of mushy peas and a cheeky couple of handmade pickled onions.  I try willingly to watch my pastry intake on the whole but if that recognisable smell is romantically drifting from my mum’s kitchen, I become useless against its powers and end up being enticed into to a sneaky bowlful and a slab of crunchy topping.

A selection of admirable pies at rode hall farmers market

 To try to recreate such feelings and emotions would be near to impossible but when I found out we were embarking on British pie week I was sure I could make no other.

Unfortunately my husband and I didn’t quite see eye to eye on the inclusion and importance of potatoes in the pie. His thoughts (which he is most entitled to) are that with the addition of potatoes all the gravy will be soaked up which will leave a meat based grey coloured mulch under the pastry topping. If I was to succumb to his wishes it would simple of become a steak pie and that was not what it was all about, I stuck to my guns laid my best doe like eyes on him and slightly protruded my lower lip, the Oscar was mine and so was the pie.

Now not only did I face the challenge of replicating one of my mum’s most famous dishes but I had laid down the gauntlet to my husband by challenging his better judgement. If I was proved wrong I faced days of smug looks and mutterings of ‘I told you so ‘.

Like a lot of sturdy traditional pie fillings this one takes time and is not to be rushed, the last thing you want is to be chewing consistently on some braising steak that has only had a quick pan fry. If planned properly, you could start this pie off in the morning, leave it on a slow simmer most of the day then put it together an hour before you’re ready to start. Making your own pastry isn’t necessary since it is widely available readymade and ready rolled, but if you do why not make it the night before and put it in the fridge or even the weekend before and keep it in the freezer until you need it. If push came to shove you could always buy some seasonal ready cooked new potatoes, cut them in half and then add them to the steak before closing with the pastry lid.

The pie was everything it was meant to be - thinly rolled non greasy, delicately crumbed pastry, succulent melting mouthfuls of steak and much to my delight, perfectly shaped un – mushed potatoes.  Even though I ploughed every available emotion into making this pie, I will admit I missed the compassion and the homely feeling that my mums creations so often emits.

 So whilst I might have made it this once Mum, I don’t quite feel ready for you to pass on that baton of motherly cooking quite just yet and I expect it made for next time I come round for tea!

Steak and potato pie

For the short crust pastry –

 8oz plain flour

2oz butter – cut into small cubes
2oz lard / trex – cut into small cubes
Cold water

For the filling –

 Olive / rapeseed oil

500g braising steak – cut into big bite sized chunks
2 tbls plain flour
1 onion - diced
Around 1 – 1 ¾ pints of good quality beef stock
4 large potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces and boiled until tender
1 beaten egg

 Start of by putting some oil into a heavy deep based casserole pan and heating it gently.
Toss your chunks of meat with the flour then place the meat into the pan and brown on all sides
on a medium heat. Don’t worry if it starts to stick, these bits just add to the flavour!
Add your onion pieces then pour over your beef stock, just until everything is well covered.
Turn the heat up until the mixture starts to boil then bring the heat right back down to barely a simmer and leave to braise for around two hours. After this time you should have lovely thick gravy and succulent pieces of meat.
While the meat is cooking make your pastry.
Put your flour into a bowl and add the diced pieces of lard and butter.
Using your fingertips rub the fat into the flour lifting it up as you go until you have reached a breadcrumb like consistency.

Next take a round bladed knife and start to drizzle over the cold water a tablespoon at a time, cutting through the pastry with your knife and blending in as you go. Be cautious not to add too much water as this will make your pastry too soggy. Once it all starts to come together use your hands to form a firm ball that picks up any spare bits of pastry as you roll it around the bowl.

Flatten into a disk and chill for at least 20 minutes or until you are ready to assemble your pie.

 Pre – heat the oven to 160 (fan).

Find a suitable dish for your pie then spoon your meat into the centre placing the potatoes on top then any remaining sauce left in your pan. Brush the egg wash around the rim of your chosen dish before you start to prepare your pastry.

Put your pastry on a lightly flour covered surface then sprinkle some more flour on top of your pastry disk. Take your rolling pin and start to roll out, turning a quarter of a turn each time to ensure even thickness. Roll out your pastry to at least half a centimetre, making sure you have enough to cover the surface of your pie dish. Trim some thin strips of pastry away from round the edges of your lid and press these bits around the edge of your dish (this will help your pastry lid stick on top).

Brush again with egg wash around the rim of your dish then place you’re rolled out lid on top.

Crimp around the edges with a fork or your fingers to seal and trim off all the excess pastry.
Place two small air holes into the middle of your pie and brush all over with the egg wash, if like me you rolled your pastry a little too thin and some cracks have appeared use any spare left over pastry to decorate (or cover!). Brush another layer of egg wash over the pie before placing in the oven to ensure a golden crust and cook for around 40 minutes.