Britain is a nation of pie lovers.
In fact, 75% of UK residents enjoy eating a pie at least once a month.
So, its no wonder that for one week a year in March, Brits will pay homage to their favorite food as they celebrate British Pie Week.
The event is the brainchild of a well known ready-made pastry producer, and this years event runs from March 5-11.
Sweet or savory, hot or cold, shortcrust, flaky, filo, or puff its the perfect excuse for pie-eaters everywhere to celebrate their love for all things pastry!
Topless tarts to double-crust pies, we have travelled the length and breadth of the United Kingdom to bring you some of the most popular pastry perfections, ever.
The Best of British Bakes brings you a culinary collection of 40 perfect pie and tasty tart recipes.
Savory
Bedfordshire Clanger
A 19th-century crumbly pie that is sweet at one end and savory at the other; providing a main meal and a dessert all in one pie!
Servings:
Prep Time: 15mins
Cooking Time: 45mins
Total Time: 2hours
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 1 yellow onion (peeled, diced)
- Oil
- 2 Granny Smith apples (cored, peeled, diced)
- 1 cup apple cider
- 16 ounces roast pork (chopped into small cubes)
- Salt and pepper
- 13 ounces apricot jam
Pastry:
- 5 ounces suet
- cup salted butter (chilled, cubed)
- 16 ounces plain flour + additional for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- - cup ice water
- 1 egg (beaten, to use as egg wash)
Directions:
1. First, make the filling. In a pan saut the onion in 1-2 tbsp of oil.
2. Add the apples and pour in the cider and cook until the apples become soft. Add the cubed pork and season. Set to one side to completely cool.
3. Next, make the pastry. Add the suet together with the butter to a food processor and blitz until small pieces are formed. Add the flour together with the salt and 1 egg, pulse until the mixture comes together, adding sufficient ice water as necessary.
4. Shape the mixture into 3 equal balls and cover in kitchen wrap before transferring to the refrigerator for 60 minutes.
5. Preheat the main oven to 440 degrees F. Using parchment paper, line 3 baking trays.
6. Roll out 1 of the dough balls. The dough needs to be thin without breaking.
7. Trim around the edges to make a rectangle and equally divide the dough into 3 pieces, using a sharp knife.
8. Fill the center with the pork, around of the way down, adding a heaped tbsp of your preferred jam at the bottom.
9. Brush the pastry around the edges with the egg wash. Roll and seal.
10. Transfer the pie to a tray and arrange seam-side facing down. Repeat the process with the remaining pastry, remembering to brush with the egg.
11. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes before reducing the heat to 380 degrees F and baking for a further 15 minutes.
12. Serve.
Cauliflower Cheese Pie
When all you want is a satisfying meal, then this cheesy veggie pie is the ultimate in comfort food.
Servings:
Prep Time: 15mins
Cooking Times: 40mins
Total Time: 55mins
Ingredients:
- 3 cups semi skim milk
- yellow onion
- 3 cloves
- 1 tsp fresh nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- cup butter
- cup plain flour
- 7 ounces mature Cheddar cheese
- 2 tsp English mustard
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large cauliflower (cut into florets)
- 1 (13ounce) package ready-made puff pastry
- 1 medium egg (beaten)
Directions:
1. Preheat the main oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Add the milk to a large pan along with the onion, cloves, nutmeg and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
3. Take the pan off the heat and put to one side for 10 minutes, this will allow the flavors to infuse.
4. Strain, discard the onion along with the bay leaf and cloves.
5. In a large pan, melt the butter and over moderate heat, add the flour, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Take the pan off the heat, and a little at a time, add the infused milk, while constantly stirring to ensure the mixture is lump free.
7. Return the pan to the stove, and over moderate heat bring to the boil until thickened; this will take around 4-5 minutes.
8. Add the cheese together with the mustard and seasoning.
9. In a large pan of boiling water add the cauliflower, and cook until fork tender; 3-5 minutes.
10. Drain the cauliflower and combine with the cheese sauce, stirring to incorporate.
11. Transfer to a baking dish and arrange the puff pastry on top, trimming off excess pastry from the edges.
12. Glaze generously with beaten egg and make a few holes in the center of the pastry to allow the steam to escape.
13. Bake in the oven for between 25-30 minutes, or until golden.
14. Put to one side for several minutes before serving.
Cheshire Pork Pie
This recipe is a modern take on an 18th-century hearty meat pie.
Servings:
Prep Time: 20mins
Cooking Time: 1hour
Total Time: 1hour 20mins
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds lean pork loin (diced, divided)
- 3 Granny Smith apples (halved, cored, sliced)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 small onion (peeled, chopped)
- Salt and black pepper
- Grated nutmeg
- 9 ounces white wine
- Knob of butter
- 1 pound ready-made puff pastry (thawed)
- 1 medium egg (beaten)
Directions:
1. Preheat the main oven to 360 degrees F. In a 9 pie dish, layer half of the pork, then all of the apples, sprinkle with sugar, then add the onions, and finish with a layer of pork. Season each layer with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
2. Pour the white wine over the mixture. Dot with butter.
3. Roll out the ready-made puff pastry to fit the pie dish.
4. Lightly brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg and arrange the pastry on top.
5. Gently but firmly press the dough down to form a seal and make slits in the top of the pie, brush the top with beaten egg.
6. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes, or until the meat is sufficiently cooked through. If after half an hour you feel the pastry is browning too quickly, arrange a piece of parchment paper on top.
Chicken, Leek, Prune and Caerphilly Pie
Chicken combines with leek; a Welsh national emblem with prunes and Caerphilly cheese to make a tasty gourmet pie.
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15mins
Cooking Time: 40mins
Total Time: 55mins
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (peeled, sliced)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled, chopped)
- 4 boneless chicken thighs (chopped)