All-new twists on family pies.
What do you get when you cross favourite family recipes with pastry-wrapped, potato-topped pies? A meal like no other, says Phoebe Wood, who transforms dinnertime staples, such as bolognese and butter chicken, into new weeknight heroes.
BACON AND CAULIFLOWER CHEESE PIE
SERVES 6-8
5 cups (1.25L) full cream milk 1 garlic clove, unpeeled, bruised 700g (about 1/2 large) cauliflower,
cut into florets
60g unsalted butter, chopped 180g smoky bacon rashers,
cut into batons
1 onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup (100g) plain flour
100g grated cheddar
80g finely grated parmesan
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 375g frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash Rocket, to serve
Preheat oven to 200°C. Place milk, garlic and cauliflower in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to just below the boil, then remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve, reserving cauliflower and milk separately. Discard garlic.
Place butter, bacon and onion in a large non-stick saucepan over mediumlow heat. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until onion has softened and bacon fat has rendered. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out the flour. Gradually add the warm reserved milk in 3 batches, beating until smooth. Add cooked cauliflower, both cheeses, mustard and nutmeg. Season to taste and pour into an oven-proof dish.
Trim pastry sheet to fit the dish. Place over the top of filling and make a few incisions in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Brush with eggwash and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with rocket salad.
MEXICAN CHILLI PORK PIE WITH SOUR CREAM MASH SERVES 4-6
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 long red chilli, finely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 1 red capsicum, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
500g pork mince
1/2 cup (140g) tomato paste
400g can kidney beans, rinsed, drained 400g can chopped tomatoes Spicy salsa, to serve SOUR CREAM MASH 1.2kg sebago potatoes, peeled,
cut into 3cm pieces
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream 50g unsalted butter, melted 140g cheddar, coarsely grated
Heat oil in a large deep frypan over medium heat. Add the garlic, chilli, onion and capsicum and cook, stirring for 6-8 minutes until onion is soft. Add fennel seeds, cayenne pepper and paprika and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add pork mince and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 10 minutes or until browned all over. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until lightly caramelised. Add kidney beans, chopped tomatoes and 400ml water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until thick and reduced. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, for the sour cream mash, place potato in a large saucepan and cover with cold, salted water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 25-30 minutes until soft. Drain potatoes and return to the pan. Add sour cream, butter, and half the cheddar and mash until smooth and creamy. Season to taste.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Spoon pork mixture into a 1.5L-capacity baking dish, top with potato mash and scatter with remaining 70g cheddar. Place dish on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve with spicy salsa.
BUTTER CHICKEN PIE SERVES 4-6
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 4cm piece (20g) ginger, finely grated 1kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into thirds 1/4 cup (70g) mild tandoori paste
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 cup (105g) dried red lentils 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 cup (250ml) coconut milk
200g frozen baby spinach
75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled 9 sheets fresh filo pastry Coriander leaves and thick natural
yoghurt, to serve
Heat oil in a large flame-proof casserole over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes until golden and softened. Season chicken and add to pan. Cook, stirring regularly, for 6-8 minutes until golden. Add 2 tbs tandoori paste, tomato paste, turmeric and red lentils, and cook for a further 1 minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and 200ml water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes or until thick and reduced and lentils are tender. Season to taste. Stir through the frozen spinach.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine remaining 1 tbs tandoori paste with melted butter. Brush each pastry sheet with the butter mixture and scrunch into a loose ball. Place pastry balls over pie filling and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is crisp. Scatter with coriander leaves and drizzle with yoghurt, to serve.
SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH SWEET POTATO MASH SERVES 4-6
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 3 celery stalks, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 500g lamb mince
100g tomato paste
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp dried thyme
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 cup (120g) frozen peas Steamed green beans, to serve
SWEET POTATO MASH
1kg sweet potato, peeled, cut into
3cm pieces
30g hot melted unsalted butter 140g cheddar, coarsely grated
Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt flakes. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add lamb mince and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 6-8 minutes or until browned all over. Add tomato paste, spices, and thyme and cook for
3-4 minutes until caramelised. Add chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and 200ml water and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened and reduced. Stir through the peas and season to taste.
Meanwhile, place sweet potato in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes until very tender. Mash or pass through a ricer, then mix in the hot butter, half the cheddar and season to taste.
Spoon lamb mixture into a 1.5L-capacity oven-proof dish and top with mash. Scatter over remaining 70g cheddar. Place on a tray and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with steamed beans.
ROAST CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE PIE SERVES 6
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1.25kg chicken thigh fillets,
skin on, halved
50g unsalted butter, chopped
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1 bunch sage, leaves picked, chopped 2 tsp fennel seeds
4 eschalots, thinly sliced on a mandoline 2 parsnips, thinly sliced into rounds
on a mandoline
2 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
on a mandoline
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour 2 sheets frozen butter puff pastry,
thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tsp
cold water, for eggwash
1 tbs black sesame seeds
Preheat oven grill to high. Arrange chicken in an 5L-capacity baking dish, skin side up, and drizzle with oil and season with salt. Grill skin for 8-10 minutes or until golden. While the chicken is grilling, place butter, mustard, sage leaves, fennel seeds, eschalots, parsnips and carrot and flour in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat in the flour. Remove chicken from under grill and change the setting to oven and preheat to 180°C. Add the vegetables to the tray with the chicken, and roast for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelised. Remove from oven and stir. Then, cover with pastry sheets (laying the pastry side-by-side), brush with eggwash and scatter with sesame seeds. Cut a hole in the the centre of each pastry sheet, then return to oven and cook for 30 minutes until deep golden.
BOLOGNESE PIE SERVES 4-6
375g Carême brand frozen puff pastry,
thawed
1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 250g Swiss brown mushrooms, finely
chopped
500g beef mince
2 rosemary sprigs, finely chopped 60g tomato paste
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
400g can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup (125ml) red wine (optional) 11/2 cups (120g) finely grated parmesan,
plus extra to serve
1 cup basil leaves, plus extra to serve 1 egg, lightly beaten for eggwash
Trim pastry to fit the size of a round pie dish (approx. 1.25L-capacity), leaving about 3cm overhang. Cut a 2cm round in the middle of the pastry. Place pastry on a chopping board and using a small sharp knife, make eight 10cm incisions in the pastry, starting from the centre of the and being careful not to cut all the way through, leaving an approximate
5cm border from the outside edge of the pastry. Chill until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery with 1 tsp salt flakes, and cook, stirring, for 10-12 minutes or until softened and lightly caramelised. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms have softened. Add beef mince and rosemary, and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until mince is browned all over. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, chopped tomatoes, red wine and 1/2 cup (125ml) water and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until thick and reduced. Stir through parmesan and basil and season to taste. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof dish. Lay prepared pastry round on top, and pleat the edges to seal. Brush with eggwash. Place in the oven on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until pastry is deep golden. Scatter with extra parmesan, basil leaves and black pepper to serve.
“I don’t think there’s a meal more comforting than this. Rich bolognese and golden pastry are a dream duo!”