Kiwisizzler

Whenever I go back to New Zealand one of the first things I do is buy a pie. Not Mrs Macs or even a BP Zip pie. It has to be a pie from the local baker, where mum’s and workmen indulge in an everyday treat.

With Kiwis consuming an average fifteen pies per year (I make every effort to cram my quota into the 3 weeks I’m in NZ!) we know a good pie. In London you are more likely to eat a Cornish pastie than a meat pie as us Kiwis and Aussies know them but we are lucky to have some antipodean alternatives being Jumbucks in Shepherd’s Bush and Square Pie. One of the classic London dishes is ‘pie, mash and liquor’ (along with ‘jellied eels’) but it can be a bit hit and miss – I’ve had a few really good ones and one particularly terrible one from a ‘traditional’ pie shop in the East End.

Fear not, humble expat (and those back home). My mates in London enjoy a good pie, so here’s my recipe.

Enjoy!

This recipe will make as many pies as you like dependant, of course, on your mould. If you use a shallow muffin tin you will get heaps of mini pies, great for parties. You may be lucky enough to have some proper pie moulds – you should get at least 6. I used tin takeaway containers from my local catering supply store since they didn’t have real tins and I got 5 big ones from this recipe. You can also store them in the freezer in these containers. It may look a little daunting but it’s pretty easy – make the filling (a day in advance is a good idea) then make the pie. Sweet as!

Mince and Cheese Pies

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions

200g carrot

2 sticks celery

1 kg minced meat – beef, lamb, venison…your choice

2 bayleaves

1½ Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

500ml beef or lamb stock

1 cup frozen peas

2 Tbsp plain flour

Salt and pepper

Some yummy cheese

500g short pastry

500g puff pastry

1 egg and a dash of milk for the eggwash

1. Dice the onions, carrot and celery.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot.
3. Add the onions, carrot and celery and sauté over a medium-high heat until lightly golden.
4. Add the mince and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir until browned and broken up nice and small.
5. Add the bayleaves, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and stock.
6. Mix well, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for around one hour or so, stirring regularly until tender.
7. Add the peas and sprinkle the flour over the top of the sauce, mixing well.
8. Continue cooking a further 10 minutes until thickened.
9. Taste and season with the salt and pepper.
10. To assemble the pie, make sure the filling has cooled to room temperature.
11. Lightly grease your moulds.
12. Roll out your short pastry on a floured surface (after sprinkling with a bit more flour so the rolling pin doesn’t stick) and cut out slightly larger than your moulds, so you can line the interior right up the sides.
13. Put your filling in but don’t fill it completely. You need space for the cheese!
14. Top with a slice of cheese (Monteray Jack is nice, or maybe a bit of Port Salut).
15. Roll out the puff pastry the same way as the short pastry and cut out to fit the top of your pie.
16. Brush the edges of your top with eggwash and place egg-down over the pie.
17. Seal the edges with a fork dipped in flour (so it doesn’t stick) and trim with a knife.
18. Brush the pie top with eggwash, poke a few hole in the top with a knife to let the steam out when they cook.
19. Cook at 180 degrees celsius for around 20-40 minutes, depending on the size.
20. Eat.