British Pie Week

It’s British Pie Week, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the joy that is pie! We are a nation of pie lovers, with research showing that 75% of us enjoy one at least once a month.

Pie Trivia

Pie is an ancient dish originally conceived by the Romans. The first example of a meat-filling enclosed in pastry, can be tracked back to ancient Rome. Fruit pies first appeared in the 1500s, but the history books cherry pie show that the first cherry pie was served up to Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th Century.

In Medieval times, chefs often competed with one another to create the most ‘entertaining’ of pies; some saw birds emerging out of the pastry and there were even rumours of dwarves jumping out during large feasting events!

Mince pies were banned in the 17th Century by Oliver Cromwell who saw them as a sign of gluttony. The ban didn’t last long, however, and people could once again enjoy these tasty treats.

Pies have proven to be popular in nursery rhymes. Four and twenty blackbirds were baked in a pie in “Sing a Song of Sixpence”, Little Jack Horner put his thumb into a pie and Simple Simon met a pieman in the popular children’s rhyme.

Chicken Pie

With Storm Freya currently battering Britain with gales and heavy rain, it’s the perfect time to get comfy at home and eat some wholesome and tasty food. With this in mind, and to celebrate British Pie Week, why not make this great recipe from Good Food Magazine for Chicken Pie?

Ingredients

1 packet of ready rolled puff pastry or short crust if you prefer

Half a cooked chicken

1 leek or onion, chopped

½ packet of smoked streaky bacon cut into little pieces

¾ oz sliced mushrooms

1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 1 cup of water

½ cup milk

1 oz plain flour

½ oz butter and a little oil (vegetable or olive)

Method

1. Strip carcass of chicken, cutting meat into large pieces. If you prefer you can buy uncooked boneless chicken, but you would need to pre-cook it at this stage.
2. Sauté leek (or onion), bacon and mushrooms in the butter and oil. When soft, add flour.
3. Add stock, stirring continuously then add the milk so that the sauce is rich and creamy. If the sauce is a little thick, add more liquid.
4. Add the pre-cooked chicken and stir carefully until meat is completed coated and empty contents into a large pie dish. Again, if you prefer to make this like a more traditional pie you can line the pie dish with the rolled out short crust pastry before putting in the filling.
5. Cover with the chosen pastry, making a vent in the pie top, and brush with milk.
6. Bake in oven on a high temperature (200C/400F/gas 6) for around 25mins or until golden.
7. Tip: With the stock cube and bacon, there is no need for extra seasoning however, you could substitute some of the stock with a little leftover white wine.

Head to Trevor Mottram in The Pantiles for cooking and dining items to help you enjoy British Pie Week in style!