Cornish Pies - An English Comfort
One of my favorite comfort foods, this British comfort comes from Cornwall in England where it is a national dish! Made from buttery puff pastry and served with a robust, deep brown gravy, this pie with its slow cooked beef, potatoes, carrots and celery absolutely defines comfort, warmth and cosiness. It is the perfect pie to stock up the freezer with!Cottage pie: I also use the delicious filling from this pie when I'm making cottage pies!
Ingredients
For the Cornish mince
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 3 rolls good quality store-bought puff pastry (I make 3-4 pies from one roll)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 4 medium carrots (peeled, finely chopped)
- 2 celery stems (finely chopped)
- 4 potatoes (peeled, roughly chopped)
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 500 ml beef stock
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- salt & pepper
Instructions
To make the Cornish mince
- Add the olive oil to a large casserole and fry the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the mince and brown for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar.
- Cover with the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for approximately 1 hour or until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.
- Once the vegetables are soft, stir in the flour and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the remaining liquid forms a sauce. Allow to cool before making the pies.
To make the pies
- On a floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry. Cut into 3 or 4 equal-sized rectangles.
- For each pie, place 3-4 tbsp of mince of one half of the pastry and fold the other half over. Seal the pie by pressing the sides close with a fork. Make a small cut in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape.
- Beat the egg and brush over the pies. Grease a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 180°C or until golden brown.
Notes
- Use the remaining stock to make a sauce. The sauce must be thickened to prevent it from oozing out when baking. Without a sauce, the pies can be dry.
- These pies freeze perfectly. To bake, cover with foil and bake from frozen until golden.
- This mince works perfectly in a Cottage Pie.
Styling, Recipe & Photography by: Stéan Kruger.
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