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| Tips & Tricks | Tips and tricks to making a great pie
Tips and tricks to making a great pie
Tips and tricks to making a good pie:
There are so many decisions to make when you’re looking to make a pie:
- The size of the pie tin – individual, for a family, a wedge from a large tin or a sausage roll
- The shape – round, square, rectangular, triangle
- The pastry – shortcrust, flaky, puff, filo
- Will it be open or closed?
- The lid, will it be pastry, potato top, have grated cheese on top?
- The best pies have two types of pastry, a shortcrust on the bottom and a flaky crust on the top. This way you get a good hold for the filling and the buttery flaky texture in the first few mouthfuls. To prevent them becoming soggy, shortcrust pastry cases need to be partially cooked before adding moist fillings. This process is called blind baking and seals the surface, resulting in a crisp pastry case.
- Line the pastry with some baking paper and fill it with baking beans, or (at a pinch) dried legumes. Bake at a high heat for about 10 minutes to get the pastry casing underway.
- Make sure the pastry is cold and rested in the fridge – at least an hour, overnight is best. If the top of the pastry shrinks away from the sides, it hasn’t rested long enough.
- Got a soggy bottom? A cooked filling will prevent this – we like to chill ours overnight to ensure the filling has cooled properly and the gravy has thickened naturally. A pie is a great way to use up leftovers as well – think of leftover casserole or curry in a pie to avoid wasting food. A mashed potato or kumara topping is a lovely addition.
Posted by Beef + Lamb New Zealand
