Meat and potato hot water crust pie

I like pies. In fact, I love pies. Sweet or savoury it makes little difference to me, I’m a huge fan. So in honour of British Pie Week Miss P and I headed to the kitchen to get our pie fix.

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of making my own pastry. The ready rolled shop bought stuff is a staple in my kitchen. As I’m usually pushed for time it’s a short cut I’m willing to take.

But when I spotted a rather delicious pie recipe in the April edition of Essentials magazine I knew I would have no choice but to make my own. The pie in question used a hot water crust, the same pastry you get on a pork or game pie. A pastry that I love but have never made.

I was rather short on filling ideas until I remembered the leftover Shepard’s pie from the day before. Mad? Not really, nothing wrong with a good old meat and potato pie. And another way to use up leftovers. Bonus.

The ‘pie within a pie’ as it was coined by a friend, is a substantial thing. Chunky pastry and a filling filling. You don’t need much else with them, just some extra veg if you’re serving them up for your main meal.

 

Hot Water Crust Pie

Makes 4

For the pastry

450g plain flour

1 tsp salt

125g lard

180ml water

1 egg, beaten

For the filling

Approx 500g leftover Shepard’s pie

You will also need:

A 300g tin of peas (or similar)

 

Preheat the oven to 200c/190c fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.  Wrap a 300g tin of peas (or similar) in cling-film.

Mix the leftover Shepard’s pie together, so the mince and potato are combined well.

Place the flour and salt in a bowl, making a well in the centre. Place the lard and water in a saucepan and heat until the lard melts. Bring to the boil and pour into the well in the flour.

Mix well and, using your hands, bring it together to make a dough. Reserve a quarter for the lids. Divide the remaining dough into 4.

Roll each dough quarter into a ball, and then flatten to make a circle. Place the wrapped tin in the centre of a circle and raise the dough around it with your hands to make a shell. Place on a lined baking tray and repeat for the other 3 dough balls.

Fill each pie with the filling. Shape the dough you reserved for lids into circles and place on top of each pie. Pinch the edges together to seal. Cut 2 small slits into the top if each pie, brush with egg to glaze and bake for approx 35 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

You need to work quickly with the dough. It will become harder to mould around the tin as it cools and may flake or snap.

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About Sian Reynolds

I'm Sian, mother to a three year old who thinks she’s a teenager and a husband who has issues with cows. Both have insatiable appetites and are rather fond of cake. And chocolate. And cheese. Freelance this and that, coffee drinker, food blogger. I seem to spend most of my time in the kitchen, with one eye on the laptop and the other watching the toddler run around with a colander on her head.

08. March 2012 by Sian Reynolds
Categories: Main Meals, Savoury baking | Tags: , | 1 comment