It's pie time again, but this time of the individual variety. Over the weekend I made the chicken pie for my Mum, who'd come to stay for a couple of nights. Wasn't too sure how Harry would take to it, not being a big fan of sauces/gravies etc. But as we all know, kids will never cease to surprise you, and he loved it. And asked if I could make it again the next night. We compromised, left it a few nights, and changed chicken for mince, but the result - winner! This time the pies were made in wee ramekins, rather than a large pie dish (partly because I only had 2 sheets of pastry left, rather than the 3 required for a large pie), and to be honest I think I preferred them that way. Remember to spray the ramekins and prick the bottom of the pastry, to ensure even cooking. I've been informed that we're having the mini-pies again soon, with the chicken filling. Always happy to serve!
For the mince filling I just did a kid-friendly bolognese (so no tandoori paste or harissa or anything). This time I used:
500 g mince
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp sugar
couple handfuls mushrooms, very finely chopped (to disguise them...)
salt and pepper
splash of red wine
1 tbsp worchester sauce
dollop sweet chilli sauce
1 tin tomatoes
- Fry onions, garlic, salt and pepper in a little oil. Add mince and brown (you may need a little more oil).
- Sprinkle over a little sugar, stir into mince.
- Add 'shrooms, wine and sauces. Stir to coat mince.
- Add tomatoes, combine, and leave on low to simmer away for a while (ideally an hour), stirring occasionally.
- Spoon into pastry, top with pastry, brush with egg and bake for 20 minutes or so (until pies golden.
You will have a good amount of mince left over so either make lots of pies (I only made 4), or use it for a spag bol the following night. You can also freeze the bolognese, for next time you want to make pies.
