What's that? Another pie? Hard on the heels of the last one? Is this going to be a pie blog? No, faithful reader! There will be other types of recipes coming soon, but now is good weather for pies of all kinds, so here's a rich, dark, slow-cooked snog in pie form.
1. It was Christmas. Remember? Or, as I call it, Annual-Boots-3-For-2-Bath-Gift-Exchange-Day. I gave orange bath stuff and got blue bath stuff in return. Now, if you have, and I do hope you do, even one festive bone in your body you will have had a GOOSE and reserved the FAT which should now be sitting smugly in your fridge in a little jar. If you're one of those people who eschews lovely, traditional goose for an overrated North American gobbler then I can't help you. Except maybe suggest some water for your inevitable dry mouth, and a piece of chocolate to mask the annual sense of crushing disappointment. If you're someone who doesn't do Christmas, and not all of you do, then I suggest getting some goose fat from the supermarket in a little expensive pot. It will make you feel luxurious. Anyway, take a couple of spoons of said goose fat and pop it in a pan, gazing in trancelike wonder as it dissolves over a medium heat.
2. Did you quarter any SHALLOTS? Well best do it quickly now then. Add them to the pan and fry gently with some FINELY CHOPPED GARLIC and some DRIED OR FRESH THYME.
3. In a second pan brown some chopped up BEEF. When it's done, add it and any juices to the onions and garlic. Inhale deeply. This is a good time for people to come into the room and say "Wow, that smells amazing, what's that?!" so you can say airily "Oh, it's just some onions and garlic and a bit of beef!" in an only slightly smug tone that implies you can make simple ingredients smell good just by stirring them.
4. What do you mean you haven't sliced the PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS yet? Are you even a bit ready? Add them to the mix and fry!
5. Now is as good a time as any to add DIJON MUSTARD, TOMATO PUREE, WORCESTER SAUCE, BAY LEAVES, A BOTTLE OF ALE, A KNORR RICH BEEF STOCK POT THING, SALT AND PEPPER, and some JUNIPER BERRIES. Stir well and top up with BOILING WATER.
6. Simmer and stir, simmer and stir.
7. If you've been thinking ahead, at this point you may pat yourself on the back and put the mix straight in the oven. If you're reading this and looking anxiously at the plastic coated handles on your pan, then transfer it to something oven-proof and put it in at a lowish temperature for many hours.
8. Walk away! There's nothing more you can do today!
9. Is it tomorrow already? Time to finish off that pie! Heat up your mixture on the stove, then transfer to your pie dish. Mine is from John Lewis, you know. It's rectangular. Crumble in some STILTON and top with a sheet of JUS ROLL PUFF PASTRY. Glaze according to your own ideas and put in the oven for however long the pastry packet suggests you should.
10. Serve! People will go ooh and ahh! They will ask you for the recipe. You can either memorise it and pass it off as your own, or direct them here, as you will.
This also works as a casserole, with extra Stilton crumbled over the top just prior to serving. You can eat a little of the Stilton as you crumble it, as a Chef Tax.
Enjoy!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, 31 January 2011
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Roast Chicken Pie
This recipe originally appeared on my henwife blog but people clamoured, literally clamoured, for it to appear again. Then they added I should start a recipe blog sharing all my delicious recipe ideas with the world. They were imaginary people, but they made a strong point. So here it is...
1. Have yourself a delicious roast chicken. Oh, how tasty it is. But wait! What's that? There's some left you say?
2. Take all the chicken off the bone. Reserve any leftover gravy. THERE! The first two tasks are done. You may as well go away and do something else now. The pie is for another day.
3. Right, it's now the next day. You are thinking of how to make your pie. Mmm, you think, chicken pie. Firstly, you need to chop some BACON into lardons and fry them up. Also chop a few cloves of GARLIC but hold off on adding them yet, you mad keen chef, you!
4. When your bacon is looking done then add the chicken which - remember? - you took off the bone yesterday, and hopefully shredded or at least sort of did that rough chopping thing to. Fry all this up together. Did I need to tell you to put some oil in the pan first? Hopefully not. If that isn't automatic then you may well struggle with the rest of this recipe involving, as it does, techniques that require you to have cooked at least one thing before in your entire life. What I'm saying is there's a certain degree of skill assumed here on your part. Don't let me down, now.
5. Anyway, now is a good time to add your garlic and some sliced PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS. You may well have sliced them the same time you sliced the garlic. If not, I don't care. I'm not a chef. Do it your own way. Fry all this up with a little salt and pepper.
6. It's now time to add all the ingredients that make this pie so popular with both friends and family. In no particular order, add CAPERS, THE JUICE OF ONE LEMON, A CHICKEN STOCKPOT THINGY, THE LEFTOVER GRAVY, DOUBLE CREAM, HALF A BOTTLE OF WHITE WINE (or a half bottle, like I said, I'm not bothered, it's your dinner), and SOME DRIED THYME OR FRESH THYME IF YOU HAVE IT THOUGH NO-ONE EVER DOES.
7. Simmer and stir, simmer and stir. It should be pretty thick but if not then reduce it or add a bit of arrow root.
8. Put your delicious mixture in an oven-friendly dish. Top with a sheet of JUS ROLL PUFF PASTRY, glaze it with whatever you use to glaze things in your house, and pop in the oven for an amount of time at a temperature.
9. Serve and enjoy! (Note I haven't said to remove from the oven before serving. This is because, as I said, I'm assuming that you have a basic knowledge of what a kitchen does, and that you're not a moron. If you are, then you're going to spend quite a long time in front of your oven, your confused gaze shifting from the recipe to the burny-foody-hot-box and back again before abandoning the entire enterprise and slinking sadly off the fridge to see if you have any cheese, which you will gnaw directly off the block like the mouse you barely outclass. But I'm sure YOU will be fine. Enjoy your pie! (Or your cheese, you numbnut).
1. Have yourself a delicious roast chicken. Oh, how tasty it is. But wait! What's that? There's some left you say?
2. Take all the chicken off the bone. Reserve any leftover gravy. THERE! The first two tasks are done. You may as well go away and do something else now. The pie is for another day.
3. Right, it's now the next day. You are thinking of how to make your pie. Mmm, you think, chicken pie. Firstly, you need to chop some BACON into lardons and fry them up. Also chop a few cloves of GARLIC but hold off on adding them yet, you mad keen chef, you!
4. When your bacon is looking done then add the chicken which - remember? - you took off the bone yesterday, and hopefully shredded or at least sort of did that rough chopping thing to. Fry all this up together. Did I need to tell you to put some oil in the pan first? Hopefully not. If that isn't automatic then you may well struggle with the rest of this recipe involving, as it does, techniques that require you to have cooked at least one thing before in your entire life. What I'm saying is there's a certain degree of skill assumed here on your part. Don't let me down, now.
5. Anyway, now is a good time to add your garlic and some sliced PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS. You may well have sliced them the same time you sliced the garlic. If not, I don't care. I'm not a chef. Do it your own way. Fry all this up with a little salt and pepper.
6. It's now time to add all the ingredients that make this pie so popular with both friends and family. In no particular order, add CAPERS, THE JUICE OF ONE LEMON, A CHICKEN STOCKPOT THINGY, THE LEFTOVER GRAVY, DOUBLE CREAM, HALF A BOTTLE OF WHITE WINE (or a half bottle, like I said, I'm not bothered, it's your dinner), and SOME DRIED THYME OR FRESH THYME IF YOU HAVE IT THOUGH NO-ONE EVER DOES.
7. Simmer and stir, simmer and stir. It should be pretty thick but if not then reduce it or add a bit of arrow root.
8. Put your delicious mixture in an oven-friendly dish. Top with a sheet of JUS ROLL PUFF PASTRY, glaze it with whatever you use to glaze things in your house, and pop in the oven for an amount of time at a temperature.
9. Serve and enjoy! (Note I haven't said to remove from the oven before serving. This is because, as I said, I'm assuming that you have a basic knowledge of what a kitchen does, and that you're not a moron. If you are, then you're going to spend quite a long time in front of your oven, your confused gaze shifting from the recipe to the burny-foody-hot-box and back again before abandoning the entire enterprise and slinking sadly off the fridge to see if you have any cheese, which you will gnaw directly off the block like the mouse you barely outclass. But I'm sure YOU will be fine. Enjoy your pie! (Or your cheese, you numbnut).
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