Open Pie and Rock Cakes
We recently visited a lovely family-run restaurant in Boughton-under-Blean, Near Faversham, Kent. We have been to Martins before, but not for a long while - http://www.martinsrestaurant.co.uk/. Our friends frequent it regularly, making the most of the 2 for 1 offer and the monthly menus. It was from here I got the idea of making my pie topping separately. The beef pie I chose from the menu arrived with a glorious pastry top. I noticed it was not attached to the dish, and noticing my frown, the owner explained that they cooked them separately. What a great idea! No more soggy pastry lids, or lids that flopped into the pie filling when it didn't quite reach the top of the dish...
So, today, with my steak and ale filling, I have cooked separate tops of puff pastry, two for each person as they were little. In fact, today we are having an 'open pie', in much the same way as you might have an open sandwich. Basically, I served the pie filling onto the plate and topped it with the pastry discs. "That's not a pie!" was the reaction, but my question is, why not? If you tip out a pie from its dish, you have filling on a plate with a pastry top... Anyway, does it matter when the filling is so delicious!
Steak and Ale Open Pie
1 oz butter
olive oil
2 small onions, sliced.
500g stewing beef, diced.
1/2 pint ale or beer.
1/4 pint water
salt and pepper to season.
Puff pastry
Filling:
Melt the butter in a casserole dish, adding a tbsp oil to stop it from burning.
Add the onions and fry them gently for 5 mins with the lid on. They should be meltingly soft once done.
Now put the beef into the pot, turning the heat up.
Brown the meat, taking your time to allow it to do that.
Once the juices appear from the meat, pour in the ale and water.
Bring the ale to a boil, turn off the heat and then pop into a low oven (170 C) for an hour.
Your filling is now ready - simple!
Roll out the puff pastry to 1/2 cm thickness.
Cut out discs, the size to suit you and your need.
Grease a baking tray and place the discs in the oven to bake and rise for about 15 mins. They should now be golden and flaky.
Serve you pie filling carefully onto the plate, and top it with your pastry discs. Voila!
Earlier today I was searching through Jake Tilson's book 'A Tale of 12 Kitchens' that I bought a long time ago, read, enjoyed and then left on the shelf. Two weeks ago, I bought another of his books 'In at the Deep End', and this got me to thinking I hadn't used his books to actually cook from!
Part of the first book was set in Scotland, and this, I thought, would be a good place to start. I came across a recipe for Rock Cakes - wow! Flash back to 1970, and childhood cookery lessons. I loved rock cakes for their simplicity and ability to make me feel like a little cook. And they were yum! What I hadn't realised at that early age, was that they originated in Scotland. I set about making them...
Rock Cakes
8oz Self raising flour
4oz butter, cubed.
3oz caster sugar
8oz sultanas
pinch salt
1 egg
2 tbsp milk.
Rub the butter into the flour until you have golden 'breadcrumbs'.
Add the sugar, sultanas and salt, mixing thoroughly.
Beat the egg with the milk, and then add to the dry ingredients with a fork.
Use the fork to pile rock-like structures onto a greased baking tray.
Bake for 15 mins at 170 C, or until slightly golden at the edges.
Enjoy with a nice mug of tea whilst you reminisce about the past!
So, today, with my steak and ale filling, I have cooked separate tops of puff pastry, two for each person as they were little. In fact, today we are having an 'open pie', in much the same way as you might have an open sandwich. Basically, I served the pie filling onto the plate and topped it with the pastry discs. "That's not a pie!" was the reaction, but my question is, why not? If you tip out a pie from its dish, you have filling on a plate with a pastry top... Anyway, does it matter when the filling is so delicious!
Steak and Ale Open Pie
1 oz butter
olive oil
2 small onions, sliced.
500g stewing beef, diced.
1/2 pint ale or beer.
1/4 pint water
salt and pepper to season.
Puff pastry
Filling:
Melt the butter in a casserole dish, adding a tbsp oil to stop it from burning.
Add the onions and fry them gently for 5 mins with the lid on. They should be meltingly soft once done.
Now put the beef into the pot, turning the heat up.
Brown the meat, taking your time to allow it to do that.
Once the juices appear from the meat, pour in the ale and water.
Bring the ale to a boil, turn off the heat and then pop into a low oven (170 C) for an hour.
Your filling is now ready - simple!
Roll out the puff pastry to 1/2 cm thickness.
Cut out discs, the size to suit you and your need.
Grease a baking tray and place the discs in the oven to bake and rise for about 15 mins. They should now be golden and flaky.
Serve you pie filling carefully onto the plate, and top it with your pastry discs. Voila!
 |
| a slightly out of focus shot! |
Earlier today I was searching through Jake Tilson's book 'A Tale of 12 Kitchens' that I bought a long time ago, read, enjoyed and then left on the shelf. Two weeks ago, I bought another of his books 'In at the Deep End', and this got me to thinking I hadn't used his books to actually cook from!
Part of the first book was set in Scotland, and this, I thought, would be a good place to start. I came across a recipe for Rock Cakes - wow! Flash back to 1970, and childhood cookery lessons. I loved rock cakes for their simplicity and ability to make me feel like a little cook. And they were yum! What I hadn't realised at that early age, was that they originated in Scotland. I set about making them...
Rock Cakes
8oz Self raising flour
4oz butter, cubed.
3oz caster sugar
8oz sultanas
pinch salt
1 egg
2 tbsp milk.
Rub the butter into the flour until you have golden 'breadcrumbs'.
Add the sugar, sultanas and salt, mixing thoroughly.
Beat the egg with the milk, and then add to the dry ingredients with a fork.
Use the fork to pile rock-like structures onto a greased baking tray.
Bake for 15 mins at 170 C, or until slightly golden at the edges.
Enjoy with a nice mug of tea whilst you reminisce about the past!
 |
| One rock, or three, with your cup of tea? |
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