Homemade Mince & Cheese Pies

It was Nigel Slater who said A pie teases us, with only a hint of what is to come under its golden crust. And there is the dilemma. What is inside the pie?  I am like the fair weather sailor, only venturing on board if a calm, sunny day bids.  It's the same with pies. I want to know what I'm getting before I embark on the tasting.

The easiest remedy then is to make my own so I know exactly what lurks under the golden crust. So I did.  I even went as far as making my own puff pastry which was not my initial intent but I am so glad I did. If you're not in a rush, give it a go. It is at once therapeutic and satisfying (more so when it turns out fine).

When I made this some weeks ago it seemed appropriate for the weather, at times tempting with hints of summer, then blowing cold and rainy. I opted to stay in the kitchen, keeping warm.  For most of the day I baked - Afghan biscuits first (see previous post), then this pie (well, there were three individual ones actually). In the process I attempted to improve my flour dusting and rolling pin techniques so that with one expert flick of the hand the board would be evenly and finely dusted and a few rolls of the pin and the pastry would be straight and even.  Ah well, that was the idea but I have a long way to go...

Individual Mince & Cheese Pies

There's a lot of chilling and resting so make sure you read the recipe through and allow plenty of time.

Homemade rough puff pastry (or use shop-bought)

makes about 3-4 pies depending on your individual tin size

250g high grade plain flour
1 tsp salt
250g butter, at room temperature
approx 150ml cold water

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.  Roughly chop the butter into small chunks and rub loosely but not completely into the flour - you should still be able to see bits of butter.

Make a well in the bowl and pour in about two-thirds of the cold water.  Mix until you have a firm dough. Cover with cling film, transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board. Knead gently and shape into a rectangle.  Roll in one direction only, keeping the edges straight, until the rectangle is about 20 x 50 cm.  You should still be able to see butter streaks in the pastry.  From the long end, fold the pastry into three (fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that). Cover with cling film and chill for 20 minutes.  Repeat the rolling out, folding and chilling 3 times. Each time you roll, give the dough a quarter turn and roll out to the same size as before. Chill before using in the main recipe.

Filling

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lean beef mince
20g (2 tbsp) plain flour
1 beef stock cube mixed in 3/4 cup hot water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp each each of dried basil and oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
200g Tasty (strong cheddar) cheese, grated
1 egg (for egg wash) + 2 tbsp water

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and saute the onion and garlic gently for about 5 minutes until onion is translucent.  Add the mince and cook until well browned, using a fork to break down any lumps.  Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.  Add the beef stock and bring to the boil.  Add the tomato paste, Lea & Perrins, balsamic vinegar, dried herbs and salt and pepper.  Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes.  Turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves and leave to cool.

When you are ready to assemble and eat, roll out the pastry to approximately 4mm thick and cut to the size of the tin(s) you are using.  You will need pastry to cover the base of the tin and a pastry lid. I used Texan muffin trays which were perfect for single serve pies.  I used a small saucer as a template circle for the base and smaller circles for the lid.

Lightly grease the tins and line with the pastry base.  Fill the pastry almost to the top with the mince mixture then add a small handful of the cheese.

Brush the edge of the pastry with water and place the pastry lid on top.  Seal the edges, trimming off any excess pastry.

Whisk egg and 2 tbsp water together and brush over the pastry.  Rest for 1 hour before baking.  It was cold so I just left mine on the benchtop.  If it's too hot in the kitchen, place them in the fridge to rest.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown in colour.  Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool a little bit before eating.

Crunchy Bran Biscuits

There’s nothing like a biscuit with a dual purpose. You can eat these just as they are - crunchy, nutty (in a no-nuts kind of way) and wholesome – but because they’re not too sweet they make a fine match with cheese.  This was how I preferred them.  A thick smear of good butter (shall I mention Lewis Road again?) and a wedge of Double Cream Brie and it was all good.  So good I had another, and then another.  It reminded me of eating McVitie’s digestive biscuits with butter and cheddar, which I sometimes still do.  Thankfully I don’t have my mother’s fondness for blue cheese and jam toppings but you're welcome to go ahead and try that too! 

I thought it especially nice to have home baked biscuits with cheese instead of the ubiquitous rice crackers, which I used like but now find I’m getting heartily sick of. 

On top of their versatility the bran biscuits are easy to bake and quick to rustle up.  Some time I should try making my own oat biscuits too.

Crunchy bran biscuits 

100g butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup milk

1 cup standard flour

1 cup wheat bran

3 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180°C

Lightly grease two baking trays or line with baking paper.

Beat the butter, sugar and milk together until well mixed.

Stir in the flour, bran and baking powder and bring together to form a dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface.  At this stage, because I wanted oblong shaped biscuits, I shaped the dough into a log which I then “squared off” on four sides and cut into thin slices (I have to admit this was a bit fiddly).  If you prefer, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 2mm thick and use a biscuit cutter to cut into round shapes.

Place the biscuits on the trays and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until crispy and brown.

Transfer to a cake rack to cool. 

Salmon Quiche

I have this theory that Jamie Oliver is on speed which is why he can claim 15 or 30 minute meals that, in my reality anyway, take far longer. I just can’t get the hang of how he sets out the recipes, so I deconstruct and put it all back together again, but differently.  In spite of the time, I find his recipes extremely tasty and I’ve been using them a lot lately but when I really want something quick this recipe is one I use again and again.

It’s one of those self-crusting tarts that is quick, easy to throw together and open to all sorts of variations - which is always a good thing.  Instead of salmon, substitute cooked chicken or chopped ham or roasted vegetables. Lately I’ve been using Regal salmon which makes for a richer (and more expensive) tart but tinned salmon or tuna will do just fine.

I like to drizzle a teensy drop of balsamic vinegar or vincotto on each tomato (I don’t know why, I just do), then finish it off with a good handful of chopped herbs - coriander, Italian parsley and basil or a little dill are good. 

Serve with pickled pears or chutney and a green salad or vegetable dish such as the sweet stem broccoli recipe below.

Salmon Quiche

Serves 3-4

1 onion                                              

3 eggs                                                

50g/¼ cup melted butter               

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

½ cup self-raising flour

1 tin 210g red salmon, drained or 200g Regal wood roasted salmon, skin removed

2 tomatoes, sliced or several cherry tomatoes halved

fresh herbs, e.g. basil, Italian parsley or coriander

Heat oven to 180°C.  Grease a flan tin or dish.

Chop onion finely in a food processor.  Add the eggs, cheese, milk and salt and pepper and whizz to combine.

Pour the melted butter and self-raising flour into the mix and whizz briefly to combine.   Pour into the greased flan dish.

Break small chunks of salmon and place evenly around the dish.  Arrange tomato slices or halved tomatoes across the top (and if you want, dot some vincotto or balsamic vinegar on each tomato).  Sprinkle with herbs.

Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes in the oven.

Sweet Stem Broccoli with Zesty Lemon

For me, the hardest thing about broccoli isn’t the spelling of it (and judging by the grocer’s blackboards, I’m not the only one), but the eating.  Apart from a few odd pieces here and there (drowned in cheese sauce or disguised in Asian stir fries), I have avoided broccoli.  So it was nice to discover a younger, sweeter broccoli that I actually liked eating. Bellaverde Sweet Stem Broccoli is from The Fresh Grower and is local (very local to me) – just strange that I always seem to find it in city supermarkets rather than here.  Maybe I could find a field nearby growing it?

There was a nice recipe on the pack so I’m proud to give you the one (and maybe only?) broccoli recipe on this blog.

Sweet Stem Broccoli with Zesty Lemon

1 pack (250g) Sweet Stem Broccoli (or use ordinary broccoli but cook for longer)

salt

2 tbsp butter

½ lemon zested

1 tsp minced garlic

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sesame seeds or pinenuts

Blanch the broccoli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes.  Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of iced water.

Melt the butter in a pan big enough to hold the stems flat in one layer.  Add the lemon zest (reserve a little to serve) and garlic and stir.

Drain the broccoli and add to the pan.  Stir to coat the broccoli and heat for 2-3 minutes (until heated through).

Toss the broccoli with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, sesame seeds or pinenuts and sprinkle the remainder of the lemon zest on top.

best ever cheese scones

So here goes, you taste scones at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school (see here) and they're the best cheese scones you have ever tasted.  Everyone around you agrees so you really have to try these at home, don’t you?  Problem was I had no recipe, only a few hints and clues hastily scribbled on my iPhone. (Can you scribble on an iPhone? Yes, I think you can ‘cos it has a font that looks like handwriting.)

In my first attempt, finding the right mix was like playing Cluedo.  Was it the plain flour with the cheese in the kitchen?  No?  Perhaps the self-raising flour with the salt in the parlour?  Good job I like Cluedo.  I may not have got all three answers in the bag but I was pretty pleased with the result. I have to admit it took me five scones to figure that out.  In my defence, they were small ones.

For the second trial, I used guinea pigs in the form of two strapping lads who came inside for a coffee break after digging up the garden beds (with my permission, I might add).  This time I’d tweaked the recipe by changing the plain flour to self-raising and adding more cheese.

I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that I only ate three scones this time.  The bad news is that they were bigger scones.  I know, it’s only bad news for me.  

The even better news is that they worked.  The boys were happy, I was happy and maybe you could be happy too if you just try them, who knows?  They may not be 100% as gorgeous and perfect looking as Le Cordon Bleu’s but I think they’re still a winner. 

The secret, I think, is to:

•  use lots of cheese (I used Vintage* cheddar)
•  have a wet dough
•  handle the dough as little as possible

If you make them slightly smaller, like the first batch, you don’t even need butter.  They are simply yummy! 

Best ever cheese scones

2 cups self-raising flour

¼ teaspoon salt

50g cold butter

2/3 cup cheddar cheese (I used Mainland Vintage*)

1 cup milk

extra cheese to top the scones

Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F).

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Either grate the chilled butter into the mix or cut it into small dices.  With your fingertips, rub the flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in the cheese.

Mix the cup of milk in lightly and quickly using a knife or palette knife until it just forms a dough. Do not overmix.  The dough will be quite wet at this stage.

On a lightly floured board and with floured hands, gently roll the dough into a long cylindrical shape and shape into an even thickness.  If the dough feels too sticky, put a little more flour on the board and your hands – just enough to continue. Cut into rounds, big or small, and place them on a greased oven tray or a tray lined with greaseproof paper. 

Grate some extra cheese over the tops of the scones – I like to use a reasonable amount.

Place the tray near the top of the oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the scones are golden brown.  Remove to a cake rack and cover with a dry tea towel to keep warm.  Serve as is, or with butter.

Best eaten warm on the day – believe me they don’t last long.

* Mainland Vintage is an aged cheddar with a crumbly texture and real bite.

For a sweet alternative, click here for cranberry & custard scones