Readers' pies
Followed our recipe? Closet pie-baker? Send us a picture of your work of art, and we'll post it here...
A hard day's pie!
Dee decided to give boyfriend Mick a very special surprise when he came home from work in Amsterdam. Mick was overjoyed and who can blame him, a classic Steak and Guinness following our Channel 4 recipe. What more could a man want after an hard day at the office?
Dee decided to give boyfriend Mick a very special surprise when he came home from work in Amsterdam. Mick was overjoyed and who can blame him, a classic Steak and Guinness following our Channel 4 recipe. What more could a man want after an hard day at the office?
The Return of the Pie King and Queen
This was a special pie evening with some of our dearest friends. Three majestic pies were created to feed the masses, who had been starving themselves for weeks beforehand in order to consume as much as humanly possible.
The first pie was a classic Steak and Ale pie, lovingly slow-cooked with the finest beef, onions, tomatoes and Guinness to produce an extraordinary depth of taste. Our friend Matt (bald chap with the glasses) sobbed as he described it as "Eating something made from pure heaven". Matt says that the experience was intensely religious, and has made him believe that a higher being must exist to create something so beautiful. He neglects to observe that actually I created the pie, therefore I must be the higher being, and continues to describe me as "A pie-chomping Benny".
Pie number two recreated the classic Christmas Pie of 2003 - turkey, sausages, gravy, bacon. Our friends were agog as they were treated to the legendary recipe enjoyed by my dear parents so many years earlier. Another friend, Bezza (holding the bottle of beer, staring like a lunatic) was deeply moved by the emotion of the occasion. Bravely holding back tears, Bezza said "I am so priviledged to have tried this famous pie. I am now part of history. My life is complete, someone kill me now because things can't get any better."
The final pie was the most controversial, as Nicola insisted on making a chicken and bacon pie - in a creamy sauce!!! Nicola and I have long debated this point - I feel passionately that pies should ALWAYS be made with a dark, gravy-based filling. Ale, gravy, or a tomatoey filling are fine - cream-based is not. On the other hand, Nicola urged me to move with the times, called me a blinkered, narrow-minded old fool, and argued that it was possible to have a light creamy filling.
On this fateful night, our relationship teetered on a knife-edge as Nicola baked a chicken and bacon pie, using a creamy roue of onions, garlic, cream and some other herbs and things. The tension was electric as the first mouthful was tentatively nibbled. Our dear friend Dave (baseball cap, looks like a trucker) was the eater. All eyes were turned to him and you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife as he slowly masticated on the creamy mixture, before looking up and boldly stating:
"It's good. The pie is good!"
The pie was immediately set upon by the hungry throng, and was positively WOLFED down by our friends. And by the end of the evening I was eating humble pie, as I was forced to admit that the creamy pie had been a resounding success.
I am grateful to Nicola for showing me that pies needn't just be made with a gravy-based filling, and want to use your website to spread the message that any pie-lover - no matter how old or experienced - should always be willing to learn new things. The world of pies is rich, varied and mysterious - who knows what other secrets lie undiscovered....?
This was a special pie evening with some of our dearest friends. Three majestic pies were created to feed the masses, who had been starving themselves for weeks beforehand in order to consume as much as humanly possible.
The first pie was a classic Steak and Ale pie, lovingly slow-cooked with the finest beef, onions, tomatoes and Guinness to produce an extraordinary depth of taste. Our friend Matt (bald chap with the glasses) sobbed as he described it as "Eating something made from pure heaven". Matt says that the experience was intensely religious, and has made him believe that a higher being must exist to create something so beautiful. He neglects to observe that actually I created the pie, therefore I must be the higher being, and continues to describe me as "A pie-chomping Benny".
Pie number two recreated the classic Christmas Pie of 2003 - turkey, sausages, gravy, bacon. Our friends were agog as they were treated to the legendary recipe enjoyed by my dear parents so many years earlier. Another friend, Bezza (holding the bottle of beer, staring like a lunatic) was deeply moved by the emotion of the occasion. Bravely holding back tears, Bezza said "I am so priviledged to have tried this famous pie. I am now part of history. My life is complete, someone kill me now because things can't get any better."
The final pie was the most controversial, as Nicola insisted on making a chicken and bacon pie - in a creamy sauce!!! Nicola and I have long debated this point - I feel passionately that pies should ALWAYS be made with a dark, gravy-based filling. Ale, gravy, or a tomatoey filling are fine - cream-based is not. On the other hand, Nicola urged me to move with the times, called me a blinkered, narrow-minded old fool, and argued that it was possible to have a light creamy filling.
On this fateful night, our relationship teetered on a knife-edge as Nicola baked a chicken and bacon pie, using a creamy roue of onions, garlic, cream and some other herbs and things. The tension was electric as the first mouthful was tentatively nibbled. Our dear friend Dave (baseball cap, looks like a trucker) was the eater. All eyes were turned to him and you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife as he slowly masticated on the creamy mixture, before looking up and boldly stating:
"It's good. The pie is good!"
The pie was immediately set upon by the hungry throng, and was positively WOLFED down by our friends. And by the end of the evening I was eating humble pie, as I was forced to admit that the creamy pie had been a resounding success.
I am grateful to Nicola for showing me that pies needn't just be made with a gravy-based filling, and want to use your website to spread the message that any pie-lover - no matter how old or experienced - should always be willing to learn new things. The world of pies is rich, varied and mysterious - who knows what other secrets lie undiscovered....?
Behind every Great Pie...
Judgment Day for the pies
A close-up of Roland's Christmas cracker!
Roland Burton looks like a pie lover from waaaay back - have a look at this!
Roland's explanation>> Last Christmas I wanted to invite my parents over for a traditional dinner - however, my flat is quite small, and I felt that cooking a turkey, potatoes, bacon, sausages etc would be quite a task. The inspiration then hit me - I would cook a Christmas pie!!
I slow-cooked some chunks of turkey breast and bacon, together with some garlic, onions and mushrooms, in a pan for around 20 minutes to make it nice and tender. I then made up some gravy, and simmered it to thicken before adding it in. To further thicken the mixture, I added some chunks of potato and some cooked onion stuffing, together with some roasted hunks of sausage, and naturally used some herbs and spices to twang it up a bit.
I made up my pie base in a pyrex dish and poured the tasty mixture in. As a piece de resistance, I sprinkled some cranberries over the top, and added the pastry "lid". For decoration, I cut some exciting Christmas shapes, like a sprig of holly, a Christmas tree, and a thrilling snowman.
To say that my parents were speechless at their son's efforts would be an understatement. My father muttered something like "I can't believe what you've done", while my mother merely wept silently. I could tell that this was their proudest moment as parents.
Roland's explanation>> Last Christmas I wanted to invite my parents over for a traditional dinner - however, my flat is quite small, and I felt that cooking a turkey, potatoes, bacon, sausages etc would be quite a task. The inspiration then hit me - I would cook a Christmas pie!!
I slow-cooked some chunks of turkey breast and bacon, together with some garlic, onions and mushrooms, in a pan for around 20 minutes to make it nice and tender. I then made up some gravy, and simmered it to thicken before adding it in. To further thicken the mixture, I added some chunks of potato and some cooked onion stuffing, together with some roasted hunks of sausage, and naturally used some herbs and spices to twang it up a bit.
I made up my pie base in a pyrex dish and poured the tasty mixture in. As a piece de resistance, I sprinkled some cranberries over the top, and added the pastry "lid". For decoration, I cut some exciting Christmas shapes, like a sprig of holly, a Christmas tree, and a thrilling snowman.
To say that my parents were speechless at their son's efforts would be an understatement. My father muttered something like "I can't believe what you've done", while my mother merely wept silently. I could tell that this was their proudest moment as parents.
Nicola made Roland a heart shaped pie for Valentines day. Incredibly, she even cut some red peppers into heart shapes and put them into the mixture.
Well Roland and Nicola, what can I say - it looks like you had a very happie Christmas and Valentines - well done! (oh and thanks for sending in the photo's)
Thanks to Ken Shimmin for trying to make some "pocket sized pies" - we sure hope you didn't put them in your pocket Ken!
Ken's explanation>> The filling is a beef mince, tomato and pea combo, with a spicy chili gravy, and a couple of small pickled onions hidden inside to surprise the unsuspecting pie-consumer. I didn't use an eggwash for the glaze, since I am allergic to eggs, so I used milk instead.
They tasted good, although the pastry was a bit tough - probably too thick, and I used the wrong sort of flour!
Ken's explanation>> The filling is a beef mince, tomato and pea combo, with a spicy chili gravy, and a couple of small pickled onions hidden inside to surprise the unsuspecting pie-consumer. I didn't use an eggwash for the glaze, since I am allergic to eggs, so I used milk instead.
They tasted good, although the pastry was a bit tough - probably too thick, and I used the wrong sort of flour!
Martin Dewey has had a go at cooking his father a birthday pie. Now we know Martin can't cook but this isn't looking too bad for a first attempt - well done Martin, keep up the good work!
Martin's explanation>> I thought I would cook my father a pie for his 70th, and because it had to be for the whole family I decided to do a roast lamb dinner pie. It turned out to be really delicious and it was fun doing it as well! First there was a layer of roast lamb, then I put the roast potatoes on top followed by a layer of carrots, with some spinach and mushrooms to finish it all off. I put some puff pastry on top, a little eggwash and cooked it until golden brown. Et voila!
Sure looks like a bit of monkeying around if you ask me...