Pasty Pie

   

 

Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair. Said Simple Simon to the pieman, "Let me taste your ware!" My husband is a real "Pie" man as opposed to being a "pieman." 

He doesn't sell pies, he just loves to eat pies. There is nothing he likes more than a pie and mash supper. I think it must be his "East end"roots coming to the fore.

  

 

I am quite fond of pies as well, although . . . to be honest, I try not to eat them very often these days, because of the fattening nature of the beast . . . you know how it is I'm sure.

 

 Every once in a while though, I like to treat him to a tasty homemade meat pie . . . sometimes it's steak and onion, other times it might be a chicken and mushroom, bacon and potato, etc. As long as a crust is involved, he's not really bothered. 

 

Oh, and he does like them with either mash or chips . . . there has to be some potato on the side there as well, even if there is potato in the pie.   

 

 

Usually he smothers it all with gravy. I believe that's also an East End thing. The East End of London is filled with pie shops offering pie, mash and gravy.

 

   

 

Pasties are a very popular version of a pie over here. Hand sized and shaped like a half moon or up-ended purse, they seem to come with all sorts of fillings. 

 

 I do admit to having a liking for the steak and stilton ones . . . although to be honest . . . does anything that includes a filling that contains anything other than beef, potato, swede and onion actually qualify as being a Cornish pasty??? 

 Probably not . . . but then again, a rose by any other name eh? 

 

 

If it tastes good, then I'm not going to quibble about a name. Not me, that's who.  

 

 

 I made him a tasty plate sized Pasty Pie yesterday for his tea. Well, he couldn't eat the whole thing of course, but he did make a good dent in it. 

 

The rest has been cut into single sized servings, packed up and stogged into the freezer for me to take out and treat him with on those occasions when I can't get home from work to make him some tea . . . or those times when I just have to satisfy my pasta craving . . . and as we all know by now. Todd hates pasta.  

  

 

 Here it is. Deliciously tasty.  With it's flaky buttery crust and delicious layered filling of  swede (rutabaga), potato and beef, it went down a real treat!

 

  

 

*Pasty  Pie*
Serves 6

A whole pasty large enough to feed a whole family.  What could be better than that.  A delicious buttery pastry encases a delicious filling of swede, potato, onion and thinly sliced beef sirloin.  Simple, hearty and scrumptious!  Perfect winter food, and great served at room temperature on a summer picnic. ( Plan ahead as the pastry need to chill for at least an hour before assembling.)

For the crust:
2 cups all purpose flour (280g)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter (76g)
1/3 cup lard (or white vegetable shortening) (74g)
5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water

For the filling:
16 ounces potato, peeled and thinly sliced (1 pound)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces swede (Rutabaga), peeled and thinly sliced (3/4 pound)
16 ounces thinly sliced beef sirloin (1 pound)
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

a large handful of  flat leaf parsley, chopped

To finish:

1 large egg white beaten with 1 tsp water

Mix flour with salt, and cut in butter and lard, until you have pieces of fat in the flour about the size of peas.  Add ice water, one TBS at a time, tossing it in with a fork until pastry comes together. Form in to a ball and cut in two pieces. Form each into a round flat disc.  Warp in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to assemble, heat the oven to 200*C/400*F.  LIne a large baking tray with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator.  Roll out on a lightly floured counter to a 13 inch circle.  Transfer to the lined baking tray. 

Start layering the filling as follows, generously sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper and a bit of water, and leaving a 1 1/2 inch edge all around.  First half of the potatoes, then half the swede, then the second half of potatoes, and the second half of the swede.  Layer on half of the sirloin. Season, then add all of the onion, and half the parsley.  FInish with the last of the sirloin and parsley, again seasoning each layer with some salt, pepper and a sprinkle of water.

Remove the remaining disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll out as before into a round large enough to cover the filling completely.  Brush the edges with some egg white and seal and crimp all the way around.  Brush the remaining egg white over all of the crust.  Pierce several times with a sharp knife to vent. 

Bake in the heated oven for 60 to 75 minutes until golden brown and cooked completely inside.  The potato and swede should be soft and the meat tender.  Cool for five minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

    

 

 

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