I want a feed for the rugby
Meat, spices, pastry... when they come together they make the perfect filling, warm and satisfying feast when you have a few mates around.
Pies make the ultimate rugby-watching food. I love nothing more than having a few mates around on a Friday or Saturday night for a drink or two, a good catch-up and a satisfying piece of delicious pie.
These lamb and eggplant mini pies have fabulous flavour, are super-simple to make, and freeze well (before cooking).
The chicken, leek and mushroom pie is a classic combination, and with this pie I like to use a combination of pastry – I use Edmonds ready-rolled sheets for the base, and then top the filled pie shell with a lid of Paneton flaky butter puff pastry, which cooks to a luscious golden hue.
Spiced lamb & eggplant pies
Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 1 hour, 15 minutes Makes: 14
2 tablespoons olive oil 850g lean lamb mince 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 red onion, finely chopped 2 small eggplant, cut into 3cm pieces 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander
teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons plain flour FOOD 400g tin crushed tomatoes cup currants teaspoon chilli flakes cup pine nuts 7 sheets (1kg) ready rolled puff pastry 1 egg, whisked 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-based pot, and cook lamb over a medium heat for 8 minutes.
Break the meat up with the back of a fork as it browns. Once it is an even colour, remove the meat from the pot and set aside. It will have rendered some fat. You need about a tablespoon to cook the onions next, so if necessary add a little more olive oil or, if too much, drain some off. Add the cumin seeds and cook for a minute then add the onion, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the eggplant, garlic, ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for a minute then add the tomatoes, currants and chilli flakes. Return the browned lamb mince to the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Cool.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cut each piece of pastry into four squares and brush the edges with whisked egg. Add the pine nuts to the filling then put about cup of filling, rounded, into the centre of each square. Cut another four pieces of pastry and place on top of each. Use your hands to press down firmly around the filling and the base.
Trim the edges and press with the tines of a fork. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut two little slits on the top of each pie. Repeat with remaining filling and pastry. Pies can be frozen at this stage. If freezing, defrost pies thoroughly before cooking.
Line two oven trays with baking paper and bake pies for 25-30 minutes until golden. Serve with a good tomato chutney.
Chicken, leek and mushroom pie
Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking: 1 hour, 35 minutes Serves: 4-6
1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 12 small leeks, trimmed and sliced into 1cm rounds 800g chicken thighs, trimmed
250g mushrooms, sliced 3 tablespoons white wine 2 tablespoons plain flour 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard to taste
2 tablespoons cream cup grated parmesan cup finely chopped parsley Cooking oil spray 1 sheets (225g) ready rolled puff pastry
180g ready rolled butter puff pastry
1 egg, whisked
Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-based pot. Add onion and leeks, season well with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes.
Trim the fat from the chicken thighs and cut each into about 4 pieces. Add to the onion with mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the wine and flour, stir to combine and cook 1 minute, then add the Dijon and cream and cook a further 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Cool.
Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Lightly spray the base of a 24cm pie dish with cooking spray and brush to coat the sides. Line the dish with ready rolled pastry and sprinkle over the parmesan. Stir parsley through the chicken and put on top of the parmesan.
Cut a circle to match the top of the pie dish from the butter puff pastry. Brush edges of the pastry in the tin with egg, and top with pastry lid. Seal edges and trim excess pastry. Brush with egg and cut a few slits in the top with a sharp knife.
Cook for 55-60 minutes until golden. Cool for 5 minutes before serving with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Recipes, food styling and photography by Sarah Tuck