Pie Mash And Liquor Food

PROPAH EASTEND PIE, MASH AND LICQOUR

Steps:

• To make the suet pastry base for the pies, combine the flour, suet and water with a pinch of salt, adding more water if needed, to form a rollable dough.
• Roll the suet pastry very thin, approximately 2mm at most, and line buttered foil pie cases with it.
• Finely chop the onion and brown, then add the beef mince. Cook until the beef is browned and add the beef stock, worcester sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 20 min on a medium heat, then drain excess juice and add a little cornflour to absorb the rest.
• Meanwhile, peel, quarter and boil the potatoes.
• Roll out the puff pastry (shortcrust is also acceptable) until almost as thin as the pastry bases and cut tops for each pie.
• Spoon the beef mixture evenly amongst the pies, then apply the tops to the pie using a little water to moisten the edges for pinching.
• Add about an inch of water to a roasting tray and put in the oven on a high heat. Sit the foil pie dishes in the water to steam cook the pies.
• While the pies are cooking, combine the fish and vegetable stock in a pot with the parsley and a pinch of salt. Cook on a medium heat to a rolling boil. Add cornflour gradually until the sauce becomes thick and slightly translucent.
• Once the potatoes are cooked to a soft, fluffy consistency drain them and mash without butter to produce a dry mash.
• Prepare the dried peas according to packet instructions.
• Once pies are brown on top, upturn them on a plate and serve upside-down, with a side of mash and mushy peas. Pour over with the licqour and chilli vinegar. The vinegar is essential for the licqour to taste right, but should be added separately. Lush!

PIE MASH AND LIQUOR

Steps:

• Brown off the mince in a pan over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, breaking down into small pieces as it browns. (If using leaner mince you may need a bit of oil to prevent sticking)
• Add beef stock, bring to a gentle boil then turn the heat off.
• Add browning, stir through add black pepper and salt to taste
• Leave to cool whilst making pastry. Preheat the oven at 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / 400°F/ Gas mark 6
• Sieve flour into a mixing bowl.
• Add a pinch of salt, suet and baking powder.
• For best results use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.Slowly combine the ingredients togetherOr use a wooden spoon to combine ingredients together.
• Increase speed and add cold water a little at a timeIf using a spoon switch to your hands for easier mixing, try to work quickly you don't want the heat from your hands to ruin the pastry
• Once all water has been added and the dough has formed into a ball. Remove from the bowl on to a well-floured worktop. Knead for a minute little until soft and pliable.
• Divide the suet dough into 4, which should be about 100 grams each (this is enough to cover 4 pie tins measuring 16cm x 12cm). You will have some left still which you will use later to shape the pastry in the tins, so don't throw it away!
• Roll out until 3 cm bigger all the way around the tin, repeat for all 4. Use plenty of flour whilst rolling to prevent sticking to pin or worktop. Keep to one side.
• Sift out flour into a mixing bowl (you can use the same one from before).
• Add cubed cold butter and salt use paddle attachment on medium speed to combine into breadcrumb texture.Or use your fingers to quickly rub butter into the flour, dont handle too much as the heat from your hands can melt the butter.
• Add 1 tablespoon at a time of cold water to form a dough. Remove from the bowl and onto a floured worktop.
• Knead into the flour, then divide into 4 pieces, they should weigh about 60g each.
• Roll out until bigger than the pie dish, you want it to overlap the tin slightly. It will roll out thinner than the base.
• It will roll out thinner than the base. See image top is the shortcrust lid and the bottom is the thicker base.
• Place your potatoes into a large pan of cold water. Bring to a gentle boil. cook for about 20 minutes. Continue making the pies and come back to the mash later!
• Once potatoes are soft enough, drain and put back into the pan to mash until smooth. Traditionally mash for this recipe does not have any butter or milk added as the liquor adds a rich enough flavour.
• The 4 sheets of shortcrust should be rolled out smaller and thinner for the pie lid.The 4 sheets of suet pastry should be rolled out bigger and thicker for the pie base.
• Use butter to grease the tins well, so pies are easy to remove when cooked.
• Place the larger suet pastry base over the tin, use the ball of leftover pastry to gently push the pastry into the tins without tearing it.
• Add the minced beef mixture equally into the 4 prepared suet pastry bases, pour any remaining stock in with them too.
• Get a bowl of water and wet down the pastry edges with A LOT of water. Do not be shy here, it needs to be soaked well for the lid and base to stick together well. It doesn't matter if water drops into the beef mince.
• Now place the pastry lids on top, DO NOT push the pastry lid down onto the mince filling. Think of it more like a drum stretching the pastry across to meet the edges!
• Cup your hand and push the lid firmly onto the pie tin edges to seal.
• Use a knife to cut down and around the pie tin edges.
• Use a pastry brush to very gently glaze the lid with milk.
• Ready to bake, place all 4 prepared pies onto a baking tin. Cook in the preheated oven at 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / 400°F/ Gas mark 6 for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make your liquor.
• If you want more brown on top, leave in for 5 more minutes.
• Make up the fish stock from cubes with boiling water in a pan.
• Add sieve flour into cold water, whilst whisking, to make sure it mixes well
• When you are positive there are NO LUMPS in the flour and cold water. Slowly pour whilst whisking into the stock. Bring to the boil.
• Use scissors instead of a knife to chop the parsley very finely, you want the green parsley juice in the pan, not on the chopping board!
• Add parsley, salt and pepper, then lower to a simmer for 5 minutes. The liquor sauce is meant to be a thin sauce.
• If you want it thicker repeat flour and cold water steps to prevent lumps from forming.
• Ready to serve! Serve pie with a couple of scoops of mash potato and drizzle the liquor all over!
• For a proper Eastend London Pie Mash and Liquor experience, serve with Chilli Vinegar and jellied eels!

TRADITIONAL PIE 'N' MASH WITH PARSLEY LIQUOR

Steps:

• For the filling, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and garlic for five minutes or until softened. Add the mince and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, or until browned and cooked through.
• Stir in the rest of the filling ingredients, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• For the suet pastry, sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the suet and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Gradually mix in about four tablespoons of cold water, or until you have a moist but firm dough.
• On a lightly floured work surface roll the dough out to a 2mm thickness.
• Generously butter two individual pie dishes then line each with the suet pastry, so that it covers the base and sides completely. Divide the filling mixture between the two dishes.
• For the pie crust, roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 2mm thickness and use it to cover the two pies, pushing down the edges to seal. Brush generously with the egg yolk and make a hole in the middle of the lid to allow steam to escape.
• Place the pie dishes into a deep-sided roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the pie dishes, taking care not to get any water on the pastry. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling steaming hot.
• Meanwhile, for the mashed potatoes, steam (or boil) the potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. Scald the milk then mash the potatoes with the hot milk, butter and plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper until smooth. Drizzle with a little chilli oil, if using, and keep warm.
• For the parsley liquor, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and whisk in the cornflour to make a paste. Gradually stir in the stock, bring to a simmer, then stir in the parsley and garlic and stir until thickened and smooth.
• Serve the hot pies with the mash, parsley liquor and jellied eels on the side.