Showing posts with label Pies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pies. Show all posts

Jul 2, 2013

Lamb and Rosemary pie







Makes one medium sized pie in a glass pie dish
Preparation Time: 10 minutes approx
Cooking Time: 15 minutes for contents and then 40 minutes approx in oven when ready to bake

Use frozen puff pastry from supermarket for the lid. Follow the directions on the pack.

To make the meat inside the pie:

700g lamb shoulder meat from butcher diced (must be shoulder as its the soft meat)
1 onion diced roughly
1 tablespoon of cornflour
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock (this can vary so add more if its too dry)
50g sachet of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon of fresh garden rosemary chopped fine
Optional use of Moroccan seasoning on the meat while cooking ( i use a pinch)
Handful of dates chopped (optional)

Place the lamb meat in a fry pan with a little low fat butter or oil and cook in batches until brown. Set aside and then cook the onion until soft in the same pan and add the cornflour with the stock, paste, sauce and wine. Add dates chopped if you like with additional Moroccan spices.

Let the mixture cook for 5 minutes then add the lamb meat and cook for a further 40 minutes until thickened.

Pour meat mix into the pie dish and let the meat cool for around  10 - 20 minutes then you can place your pastry lid on and glaze pie lid with a little beaten egg.



Make a little hole in the lid somewhere so the heat can escape while cooking.  Bake for around 40 minutes on 180 degrees celsius fan forced.  Check often with your oven as some may cook faster. Cover with foil if over browning.

This pie can be prepared a day ahead and placed in fridge until ready to cook and eat.





May 17, 2013

Moroccan Lamb pie





 Makes one large pie for 4 people

Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time around 40 minutes

1/2 large shallot diced finely
500g diced lamb meat
1 tablespoon of Moroccan seasoning
1 handful of chopped rosemary
1 clove of garlic crushed
400g  tomato passata (or crushed)
1/2 cup vege or beef stock
4 small potatoes diced small
1 handful of pitted dates torn in half
Puff pastry for the lid (defrosted on benchtop ready)
one egg beaten in a cup for the glaze
One glass pie baker




Cook shallot onion in a large fry pan with a little olive oil until softened.  Add lamb and stir with wooden spoon until browned.  Then add the seasoning and rosemary. Add the tomatoes, stock, potato and dates.  Simmer on low heat for around 20 minutes until thickening.



Place the meat mix into the glass baking dish and if you like add a little pepper to the top layer.  Then place a piece of pastry on top and press to the sides of the dish.  you can make a small hole in the centre so the heat can escape.  Decorate with sprigs of rosemary.
Now you can glaze with a pastry brush with the egg mixture to make the pie amazingly brown.


Bake in oven around 160 degrees celcius fan forced for 40 minutes. Check as some ovens are different.


Jul 23, 2012

Lamb pie



Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves one (adjust ingredients to how many people you are serving)


This little pie i made on its own as a test for my kids and they loved them so its a great idea for kids meals and if you cant get them to eat veggies you can add whatever you like and see if they like it this style.


Ramekin dish for the pie/s


A piece of puff pastry 


3 lamb back straps diced  (3 make one little pie in a larger size ramekin bowl)
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 cup of sugo (tomato passata)
1/4 of a beef stock cube ( in the passata above)
1/2 teaspoon of cornflower
shake of salt and pepper
shake of Moroccan spice (if desired)
diced corn was added for my kids in this idea



Place your onion in some olive oil in a saucepan and cook for a little while until soft.  Then add the garlic and stir in the lamb meat.  Cook around 5 minutes until browning then add your remaining ingredients.  Simmer this collection for around 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  This will create a gorgeous gravy and once the liquid slightly evaporates you will have some amazing pie contents.



Place your ramekin face down onto the puff pastry to get the lid imprint for your pie lid.  Then cut this out and place aside.



Once the meat looks ready remove the garlic clove if you can find it and  place the meat mix  into the ramekin and place puff pastry on top and slightly brush with egg for a beautiful brown pastry puff glow.

Cook the pie in the oven at around 180 degrees for around 25 minutes.















Apr 15, 2012

Chicken and Leek Pie

Chicken and Leek Pie




Preparation Time: 40 minutes approx
Cooking Time: 40 minutes in oven fan forced
Serves: 4 to 6 people

Chicken filling :

3 chicken fillets (skinless) chopped up bite size
Olive oil or butter
1 leek finely chopped ( white part only)
1 clove of garlic crushed 
1 large tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves only
1/4 cup of plain flour
2 cups of milk
salt and pepper

Pastry consists of:

1 cup of grana padano parmesan cheese finely grated
2 cups of plain flour
130grams of chopped butter (lurpak is preferred for best taste)
1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes
1 tablespoon of milk
1 egg
Baking dish for a pie is required (glass ovenproof)

Glaze for top of pie before baking:

1 egg mixed with a splash of milk with a pastry brush (place in fridge until ready to brush pie over)




Now to prepare:

Prepare your pastry by placing the flour, cheese, salt, butter in a food processor and mix for approx 2 minutes until the mixture is finely blended. Add the egg and the milk and mix again until a smooth dough forms.  Then place dough in a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in fridge while preparing the filling.


Heat some olive oil in a deep fry pan and place your chicken pieces and cook until browned nicely.
Remove from pan when cooked and place in bowl.  In the fry pan add some butter (or oil) and place the leek, garlic clove and thyme and cook for approx 8  minutes until softly cooked but not burnt.  Discard the garlic clove.  Add the flour, milk and the salt and pepper.  Cook until thickens then add the chicken in the bowl to the sauce.   Turn off heat after mixing through and set aside to cool down.  




Pre heat your oven on fan forced 180 degrees Celsius.






Now prepare your pastry from the fridge.  Place half the ball on a piece of baking paper on a cutting board.  I used plastic wrap but baking paper is better.  Roll with another sheet of baking paper over the top of the ball until a real thinly spread pastry shell is formed.  Place into your glass baking dish  and work the edges around pulling any excess off and adding to the other ball.  Add the chicken mixture to the pie shell only when the chicken filling has cooled down considerably as otherwise it may make the pie shell watery.  The sauce should be thick and not watery when prepared.  Then once filled roll out the other pastry ball into a large round lid and place whatever design you like on the top. Crimp the edges together with your fingers.


Use some of the glaze from the fridge with pastry brush over the pie.  


Place in the oven to bake for 40 minutes.




Delicious!!!!