Pie is always a good idea, especially during the weekend or when you are too lazy to cook. From classics like apple pie to new favorites like lemon meringue, this list of the best pie recipes has something for everyone.
1. Steak and kidney pie
Ingredients
For the base
300g puff pastry
1 egg and 1 extra egg yolk beaten together
For the filling
2 tbsp vegetable oil
700g braising steak, diced
200g lamb kidney, diced
2 medium onions, diced
30g plain flour
850ml beef stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Method
Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef. Set aside, then brown the kidneys in the same pan. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, then return the beef to the pan, sprinkle flour over, and coat the meat and onions. Add the stock to the pan, stir well and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat right down and simmer for 11⁄2 hours without a lid. If the liquid evaporates, add more stock. When the meat is tender, remove from the heat and add salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce then stir and allow to cool completely.
Once cooled, place the cooked meat mixture into a pie dish. Roll out the pastry to 5mm thick and 5 cm larger than the dish you are using.
Using the rolling pin, lift the pastry and place it over the top of the pie dish then trim and crimp the edges. Brush the surface with the beaten egg mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.
2. Chicken and mushroom pie
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
500g chicken thigh fillets cut into 3cm cubes
500g punnet mushrooms, thickly sliced
50g butter
35g plain flour
1½ tsp mixed spice
500ml milk
1 cup frozen peas
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper, to season
Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper for 5 minutes until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the mushrooms, cook until golden then remove and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the pan, then stir in the flour and mix the spice. Cook for 1 minute before gradually whisking in the milk until thickened slightly. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and season to taste. Cook until sauce thickens (about 2 minutes) then transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Remove the pastry sheets from the fridge and cut each sheet in half and place one on top of the other. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry out to a 4mm-thick rectangle that fits the size of a rectangular 1.5 to 2-litre baking dish. Stir the frozen peas through the pie filling mixture to combine then transfer to the baking dish. Place the pastry over the top to cover, pressing down on the edges with a fork to seal in the filling. Make a small cross-incision in the centre of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Brush the egg yolk over the surface of the pie then bake for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Serve immediately.
3. Apple pie
Ingredients
500g flaky pastry
7 to 8 Granny Smith apples
100g light brown sugar
100g white sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp butter
1 egg
Method
Heat oven to 200°C. Peel, core, and slice apples into thin slices. Place slices into a large bowl and scatter both sugars, salt and spices over the apples, and toss, coating the slices as much as possible.
Set aside for 1 hour at room temperature. Roll out half of the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Check for the correct size by inverting the pie dish over the dough, which should be about 3 cm to 5cm larger than the dish.
Place the dough into the pie dish and trim the overhanging dough to within 20 mm of the edge of the dish and refrigerate.
Roll out the second half of the pastry to a similar size as before and transfer it to a large parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate.
Toss the apples with the cornstarch then transfer them into the prepared bottom crust using your hands to pack them down into the pie. Fill the pie until the apples are at the same height as the edge of the pie crust.