Christmas Hodgepodge Pie Food

CHRISTMAS HODGEPODGE PIE

Steps:

• For the pastry, put the flour and 1 teaspoon of sea salt into a bowl, cube and add the butter, then use your thumbs and forefingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Beat the egg, then stir into the bowl with 3 to 4 tablespoons of ice-cold water. Use your hands to gently bring it together into a ball, but don't overwork it. Divide into two pieces and flatten each into a circle (for the top and bottom of your pie), then wrap in greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Finely chop the bacon, then place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or turkey fat, if you have any). Pick, roughly chop and add the rosemary, then cook for 3 minutes, or until golden.
• Wash, trim and roughly chop the white part of the leeks (save the green part for making stock or soup) and thickly slice the mushrooms, then add to the pan. Season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then cook for 10 minutes, or until soft and caramelised, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the mustard, then the flour, and pour in the stock - any leftover turkey gravy will add great bonus flavour here, too. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes on a medium-low heat, then turn off the heat and add the crème fraîche. At this stage, you can either leave it chunky or use a stick blender to whiz it to your preferred consistency. Leave to cool completely.
• Once cold, set aside half of the sauce to serve, then tear up the turkey meat and stir it into the pan, adding some stuffing, if you've got it. Trim, finely slice and stir in the Brussels sprouts.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3 and grease the bottom of a round 30cm pie dish with a little oil (or leftover turkey fat, if you have any). Roll out half the pastry on a clean flour-dusted surface to ½cm thick and use it to line the pie dish, then tip in your turkey pie filling. Dollop the cranberry sauce on top. Beat the egg, then use it to brush the edges.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to ½cm thick and a little bigger than the pie dish. Use a selection of cutters to cut out shapes in the middle, and set aside. Carefully place the pastry left behind on top of the pie dish and brush with beaten egg, then place the reserved pastry shapes on top, filling any gaps. Trim off any pastry, then roll out again and cut out more shapes, until all the gaps are filled.
• Brush the top with beaten egg, and press a fork around the edges to seal. Bake at the bottom of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.
• When you're nearly ready to serve, reheat the remaining sauce until piping hot, then take it to the table alongside the pie. Delicious with steamed greens and peas.

TRADITIONAL MARITIME HODGE PODGE

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the chopped onion and whole garlic clove. Cook and stir until the garlic has softened, and the onions begin to turn golden-brown, about 8 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl; remove the garlic clove, mash, and return to the onions. Place the green beans, wax beans, and carrots into the saucepan. Pour in the chicken broth and enough water to just cover the vegetables; season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes.
• After the beans have simmered 15 minutes, stir in the new potatoes and cook until tender, about 30 minutes more. Stir in the garlic, onions, 1/4 cup butter, and cream; return to a simmer. Dissolve the flour in 1/2 cup of water and stir into the soup. Cook and stir until the soup has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with crumbled bacon.

HODGE PODGE

Steps:

• In a pot, melt butter.
• Add onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add green beans, carrots,water, and salt to taste.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cook about 25-30 minutes.
• Add potatoes and frozen peas.
• Cover pot and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are done, about 10-15 minutes.
• Drain off some of the water.
• You need the remaining water to come about halfway up the vegetables in the pot.
• Add evaporated milk and heat to a good serving temperature.
• Do not boil.