Leftover Pies
Without repeating myself too much (see the Suet Shortcrust Pastry intro), this recipe was born on a late Christmas night. Faced with a mountain of leftovers, I decided to make a pie. The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility—you can throw in whatever you have on hand, which is why I haven’t specified quantities. Here’s what I recommend: A layer of stuffing to create a cushion between the pie crust and the filling. A generous spread of cranberry jelly (or mint sauce for lamb, dijonnaise for beef or chicken—you get the idea). Your meat, broken up and coated with thick gravy to keep it moist. For the large pie, I got the idea to bake it in a cake tin from a friend’s mum—it makes life so much easier! As for the individual pies, they’re a bit more challenging. If you don’t have mini springform tins, you can make makeshift cases with foil. As Mary Berry would say, they’re “rustic.” They’re a little fiddly, but as long as you don’t puncture the foil and fill them generously, they won’t leak or collapse. One pie can easily serve two people, so they go a long way.
Makes 4
Hands-on Time 20 minutes
Baking Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 portions suet shortcrust pastry (made with):
675g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp fine salt
75g shredded suet
225g unsalted butter (cubed and chilled)
190ml water
2 medium eggs
Plain flour (for dusting)
Leftovers (for filling)
1 medium egg (for egg wash)
Equipment
Scissors
Baking parchment
Foil
Pyrex jug or similar 10cm-wide glass jar
Baking sheet
Sharp knife
Rolling pin
Small bowl
Fork
Pastry brush
Method
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C (fan)/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Prepare the pie cases
Cut 4 strips of baking parchment and 8 strips of foil (5cm wide and long enough to wrap around the jug/jar).
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Cut off one-quarter of the dough and set aside for the pie lids.
Divide the remaining dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a circle (at least 5mm thick).
Shape the dough over the bottom of an upside-down jug/jar, pleating the edges to create standing sides.
Wrap each case with parchment and foil for support, then place on the baking sheet.
3. Fill the pies
Fill each case with leftovers, pressing the filling against the sides for support.
Roll out the reserved dough and cut 4 circles for the lids.
Place the lids on the pies and crimp the edges to seal.
4. Decorate and bake
Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it over the pie lids.
Cut a vent in the centre of each lid.
Bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes.
5. Finish and serve
Remove the foil and parchment from the pies and bake for an additional 5 minutes to crisp the sides.
Serve and enjoy!
