Pretty Pies Please

When I planned this meal, it was going to be really simple Pepper Steak Pot Pies, but as I am sure any cook will tell you - "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry".

It all started very efficiently with me making a simple filling, pre-heating the oven and then turning around to where the defrosting puff pastry should have been and ....... remembering that I never actually took it out of the freezer! Oh no, what now? I have to have supper ready in 45 minutes? Where are the cooking gods when you need them?

Once the colour returned to my face and the feeling to my legs, I sprang into action and not only did I save the day (Superman), I ended up with a really great meal!


The Steak and Mushroom Filling

500g Goulash
Flour for dusting the meat
1 Large Onion
Olive Oil
15ml Tomato Paste
10ml Chilli Powder (optional for those who are not spicy)
Salt and Pepper
½ a punnet of Mushrooms (cut into bite size pieces)

Fry the onion until soften, and remove from the pot.
Dust the meat in with the flour, removing any excess (as usual I do this in a bag).
Heat the pan, add some oil and fry the meat until browned.
Add the onions back into the pot.
Add a little water, tomato paste and chilli.
Cook on a low heat until the meat is tender.
Keep adding water, and build up a nice gravy.
In the last ½ hour add the mushrooms.
Allow to cool.

The Pastry

250g Flour
175g Cold Butter cut into rough blocks
85ml Ice cold Water
12ml Lemon Juice
2.5ml Salt

Place the flour. salt and butter in the food processor.
Pulse until you have what looks like bread crumbs (don't over mix)
Add the water and lemon until mixture just starts to come together.
Remove and then if you have time, allow it to cool in the fridge for about ½ an hour.
If you don't then proceed straight ahead, with rolling out the dough.
I make my pastry quite thin, about 3mm.
Cut disks, depending on the size pie you wish to make, mine were smaller than usual (about 15cm in diameter).
I only used the meat and mushrooms and left the gravy to serve on the side. If you have too much gravy inside, the pastry will become soggy - not good!
Place a spoon of the filling in the middle of the disk, egg wash the edges, bring together and crimp to seal.
Egg wash the top of the pies.
Bake at 190°C for about 25 -30 minutes.

Serve with chips and the gravy.


These pies would also work very well at a picnic, especially if you make the smaller size as I did.