Pear And Sausage Pie Food

PEAR AND SAUSAGE PIE

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; cook until well browned, about 3 minutes, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Add chopped onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add sage; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute more. Transfer to a medium bowl; season with pepper. Stir in cheese; set aside.
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in cabbage, juniper berries, caraway seeds, bay leaf, verjus, and sugar, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen any browned bits. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard juniper berries and bay leaf.
• Roll 3/4 of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 21-by-12-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Line a 13-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with dough, allowing dough to drape over edges. Freeze until cold, about 10 minutes.
• Using an apple corer, remove 3/4 of the core from each pear, leaving stem end intact. Remove another tablespoon flesh from each cavity. Spoon 2 tablespoons sausage mixture into cavity of each pear; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Assemble pie: Spread cabbage mixture in an even layer over dough. Set stuffed pears on top. Roll out remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14-by-6-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out four 2-inch circles from dough along centerline, about 1 inch apart. Place dough over pie, with pears poking through the holes. Gently crimp edges of dough to seal. Freeze until cold, about 15 minutes.
• Whisk together cream and egg yolk in a small bowl. Brush crust with egg wash. Bake pie on a rimmed baking sheet until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes.

PEAR & BERRY PIE

Steps:

• To make the poached pears, put the sugar in a big saucepan with the lemon peel, cardamom pods, nutmeg, cinnamon and 1 litre water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the pear halves into the liquid and place a circle of baking parchment on top, so they cook through properly. Leave over a medium heat, so that a few bubbles break the surface every now and then, and cook for 15 mins. Allow to cool in the liquid. Can be chilled overnight if making ahead.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Dust the work surface with a little plain flour. Roll out the pastry so it's big enough to line a 20-23cm frying pan, pie dish or shallow baking tin. Grate a little nutmeg over the surface, then gently roll again to help it stick. Lift over your dish, press into the corners, then trim the edges. You can give it a pretty crimped edge, if you like, then wrap the off-cuts in cling film and keep in the fridge until needed. Scrunch up a sheet of baking parchment, unfold, and lay it over the pastry. Fill with baking beans and bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and parchment, brush with some of the beaten egg and return to the oven for another 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Cook the remaining pears and sugar in a small pan until the pears are soft enough to squash with the back of a spoon. Drain off 3 tbsp of the poaching liquid and mix this with the cornflour, then pour back into the pears and continue cooking and squashing for another minute or so, until the filling has thickened.
• Sprinkle the ground almonds over the pastry case, then add the squashed pear mixture and scatter over the berries. Remove the poached pears from their liquid and blot them on some kitchen paper. Arrange them face-up among the pear mixture and berries. Using a mini pastry cutter, cut little shapes from the leftover pastry, then arrange them on top. Brush the pastry pieces with beaten egg and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 45-50 mins until the pastry is golden and berry juice is bubbling. Cool for 10-15 mins before serving with custard, cream or ice cream, if you like.

SAUSAGE AND APPLE PIE IN A CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• *Used a combination of Granny Smiths (for their tart flavor and crisp texture) and Cortlands (for their sweetness and softer texture). If you use all Granny Smiths or all Cortlands (or other kinds of apples), adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.
• CRUST:.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Using an electric mixer, a pastry blender or fork, or your fingers, cut and mix the cheese and butter into the flour mixture until the fat and flour form a crumbly mixture. Add the lemon juice or vinegar, then sprinkle on just enough water so that you can gather the dough into a cohesive ball.
• Divide the dough in half, and flatten each half into a 1-inch thick round. Wrap one of the rounds in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and refrigerate it while you work with the other. Transfer the remaining dough to a well-floured work surface. Roll it into a 12-inch circle, using as few strokes of the rolling pin as possible; the fewer times you touch the crust at this point, the more tender it'll be when it's baked. Transfer the circle of dough to a 9-inch pie plate (a giant spatula works great here), and gently fit it to the pan's contours. Again, if you push and stretch the dough too much during this stage, it'll shrink when you put it in the oven.
• FILLING:.
• Peel, core and slice the apples. In a large, shallow frying pan, cook the apples with the salt, cinnamon, cider or juice, and sugar for 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the liquid is syrupy. Add the cooked sausage.
• Spray the crust with some nonstick vegetable oil spray (this helps it stay crisp), then spoon the filling into the crust. Roll out the remaining crust, and center it over the filling. Press the edges of the top and bottom crust together, fold them under (onto the top of the pan's rim), and crimp.
• BAKE:.
• The pie in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, till the crust is very brown. Remove the pie from the oven, and serve it warm or at room temperature.

CHEESY SAUSAGE & BEAN PIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Combine the beans, sausages, passata, oregano and spring onions with some seasoning and the sugar.
• Unroll the pastry and cut into four rectangles. Spoon the bean and sausage mixture onto one side of each rectangle, leaving a 1cm border - so you can fold the pastry like a book. Sprinkle the cheddar over the bean and sausage mixture.
• Brush some egg around the edges, then fold the pastry over to enclose the filling. Seal the edges by pressing with a fork, then put on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Brush with more egg, and cut a small hole in the top of each pie for steam to escape. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Bake on the middle shelf for 40 mins until golden. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then serve with salad.

SAUSAGE & MASH PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently cook the sausages over a medium-high heat for 10-12 mins, turning them until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate, then put the butter in the pan and heat until sizzling. Tip in the onions, stirring them into the butter, then sprinkle over the sugar and fry for 8-10 mins until the onions are golden. Scatter over the flour and stir to make a paste, then add the tomato purée. Cook for a minute, then add the vinegar, pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer. Tip in any juices from the sausages, then cut the sausages into thick slices and add to the pan. Simmer everything together for 5 mins until you have a glossy onion gravy. Tip the mixture into a baking dish.
• To make the mash, tip the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 10-12 mins or until just cooked (the tip of a knife should slide in easily). Drain and leave for a minute. Pour the milk into the pan and bring to a simmer, then tip in the drained potatoes and butter, and mash thoroughly. Season to taste.
• Top the sausages and gravy with the mash, starting from the edge of the dish and working your way into the middle. Use a fork to scrape lines in the topping and scatter over the cheese, if using. Can be assembled, covered and chilled for up to two days or frozen for three months. Defrost completely before cooking. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the pie on a tray for 35-40 mins until the top has browned. Leave to cool for 5 mins before scooping straight from the baking dish at the table and serving with peas, if you like.