Pies are Popular

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 898, 19 October 1956, Page 22

Pies are Popular

URING the scarcity of potatoes, the meat pie D has re-asserted itself, housewives having found out anew how it rounds off a good dinner, making the family satisfied with just one small new potato each, or even no potatoes at all. As a matter

of fact, pies are supposed to have been invented originally because they were substantial and filling. At first they were made with meat, then with mixture of meat, fruit and spices-the original "mince-pie." It is said that our modern apple pie was invented by George Washington’s own cook at Valley Forge during the revolutionary war, as a little comfort for the General. For the dessert course a-pie is always welcome. It is still true that a man will be satisfied with either an apple pie or a steam plum pudding every night; but

where he formerly expected a good-sized "deep dish" apple pie, we found that when he came home after the war he would describe the subtleties of butterscotch pie, cream pies and chiffon pies! So write and tell the other Links in the Daisy Chain what most pleases your own man; and in the meantime, here are some suggestions, The Pastry This may be short, puff, flaky or fleur (with an egg-yolk), according to your own taste. The shortening may be but-

ter, margarine, vegetable dripping or cooking oil, or some of each. Be careful not to roll too much flour intg the pastry while it is of the board, Excellent puff pastry is sold in delicatessen shops by the pound, which saves much time and work, and is generally better than a newly-wed, at any rate, can make. This pastry is made fresh every day, and is not to be confused with the American pastry-mix. Harassed Housewives’ Pastry Take 1 lb. flour, 1% Ib. fat, preferably butter, 2 teaspoon salt, level tablespoon lemon juice, work in the ordinary way with enough cold water to requisite consistency, roll out once. Wrap up in piece of greased paper and put away on shelf. This is to be done in the cool of the evening. Next day roll it twice and there is your pastry ready to be put on the pie. Fleur Pastry Six ounces of flour, 342 oz. butter, % teaspoon baking powder, pinch salt, 1 oz.,castor sugar, 1 egg yolk. Sift into bowl all dry ingredients. Rub butter lightly into flour. Add egg yolk. Work into pliable dough. Suitable for cases and open tarts, Pastry (With Dripping) One cup good clean dripping, 1 cup milk, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, salt. Cream dripping, add milk slowly, the more creamed the better, Then add sifted flour and baking powder, etc., and roll. Steak and Kidney Pie Take 114 Ib. of steak, 3 or 4 sheeps kidneys and an onion if liked. Cut up the steak and skinned kidneys into neat pieces and dredge with a little flour to which has been added a little salt and pepper. Cut up the onion finely. Braise the meat and onion in a little dripping in a shallow pan, then cover with hot water and cook with lid on till the meat is tender. Remove meat to piedish, make sufficient gravy in the pan, thickening a little and add. When cool cover with plain or puff pastry, and prick to let out steam. Bake in good oven to cook the pastry. A few mushrooms may be added if liked, Veal and Ham Pie One pound fillet of veal, 4% lb, ham or bacon, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 teacup good stock (boil veal bones to make this), 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, lemon rind, pepper and salt, pinch herbs if liked, pinch nutmeg. Cut veal into pieces, season. Put in dish layer of veal, then bacon, till half full. Put in sliced eggs, and pour on stock. Fill up with veal and bacon, sprinkle chopped parsley. Put on crust, make hole for steam. Bake in hot oven till brown, then reduce heat till meat is cooked, about 2 hours. It is quicker to cook the meat first and cool it before putting on pastry, as in steak and kidney pie. Devon Bacon and Egg Pie Line shallow dish with flaky pastry. Deep sandwich tin is satisfactory. Have ready plenty of very finely chopped parsley and about 4% Ib. streaky bacon, also chopped finely. Put 2 or 3 layers of bacon and parsley on pastry. Put pastry lid on top with a half-inch square hole cut neatly out of the centre. Wash over with milk, and bake in hot oven 420 degrees (regulo 7 or 8) for 20 minutes. While this is cooking beat up 2 eggs with 43 cup milk and a dash of pepper (no salt). Take pie from oven and pour the egg mixture in through the prepared hole. Return to oven for another 20 minutes. Take out of tin, turn upside down and return to hot oven for 5 minutes, to make the bottom crust crisp. Serve in

thin pieces for savouries (hot), or as a hot dish at a meal, or in small wedgeshaped pieces for morning or afternoon tea or supper. Picnic Pie Fry pork sausages till brown, but not quite cooked; Line deep pie plate with flaky pastry. Put on sausages halved lengthwise, then rashers of bacon, sliced tomatoes, and lastly break carefully on top some eggs. Season with pepper and salt, cover with pastry. Bake till done. Serve hot or cold. Salmon Patties Line patty tins with short pastry. Make filling with 1 lb. salmon, 1 cup cold cooked rice, 1 cu, mashed potatoes, 2 hard-boiled eggs, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon tomato sauce. Flake salmon, add rice and potatoes, eggs cut small, pepper, salt and tomato sauce. Melt butter in pan, add mixed ingredients and heat thoroughly. Stir constantly. Place spoonfuls in each lined patty pan. Cover with circle of pastry, brush with beaten egg. Crimp edges. Bake in hot oven about 20 minutes. Serve hot with parsley. Vol-au-Vent Cases (for Savouries) Roll puff pastry to about %%4 inch in thickness. With a large cutter, stamp out rounds; with a cutter 3 sizes smaller make a mark half-way through each round; bake in a quick oven for 34 to 1 hour. Reduce heat gradually. Lift off the inner circle which you marked, remove the soft centre, return the case to | a moderate oven for about 10 minutes. The case is then ready to be filled with any mixture desired, such as oysters or salmon in white sauce. Place the inner circle (or lids) on top of mixture as desired. Best served hot. Smaller cases are made in the same way, only rolled out thinner, cut with small cutters, and baked a shorter time. Spaghetti Tartlets Cook 1% lb. spaghetti in boiling water for about 20 minutes with pinch of salt, Drain, add 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1. dessertspoon butter, 2 tablespoons grated cheese, salt and pepper. Line Sa a ee a Eg SS ee ag

patty pans with short pastry, fill with mixture, sprinkle freely with grated cheese, cover with pastry, seal edges, brush over with egg yolk, bake 4% hour in a hot oven,

NEXT WEEK: Pies for Dessert