Sunday Supper: A Perfect Meat Pie for Fall

 JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: It's Sunday, so of course that means another delicious recipe from our chef de maison, Celia Wakefield. Today she has the perfect luncheon or dinner dish for these cooling days, and as someone who got to eat (two large helpings!) I can assure you it's well worth the effort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning my dear Reds and Readers, after missing Julia’s last turn around the internet, here I am again and most grateful for so many things. I will list a few as this is Thanksgiving week. For your friendship, whether we have actually met or not. I promise I will get to a mystery con one day. For open discussions which help understanding and lead to friendship. For the beauty that surrounds me in Maine together with the quirkiness that identifies a Mainer. There’s more but on to the real topic of the day.

 

And my question for you: Other than our obvious gratitude, family, security, peace, etc.,

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?

 

 

Is there anything more delicious than a meat pie covered with golden puff pastry. The smell alone can be enough, releasing the savory steam as one cuts into the pastry. Eating it seems almost unnecessary.

 

I have always advocated that an important part of cooking skills is making pastry. When I opened my catering company, many years ago, I gave myself a stern talking to and declared I would learn how to make pastry well. And I did. I’m not a real expert but I can put a pie together without a soggy bottom.

 

With the weather growing colder and the night closing in earlier I felt we needed a warming meal. Plus I have lots of lamb in my freezer therefore why not a meat pie? Now I am inclined to go down many different paths or tangents when writing but for now let us concentrate on lamb, delicious roast lamb, lamb burgers, spiced meat balls, lamb wrapped in filo pastry. But what about lamb and climate? Lamb is expensive, but with the addition of air travel lamb can fly a long, long distance just for our enjoyment. How can I with my environmental conscience buy New Zealand or Australian lamb knowing the distance it is flown to feed me? Moving to Limerick, Maine gave me the opportunity to have my lamb without feeling guilty. One of my friends here raises lamb and I buy a half lamb each autumn - that’s roasts, stewing meat, ground lamb and other little goodies. Did someone say kidneys?

 

I grew up with a leg of lamb being Sunday lunch. Such an important family meal set in my grandparents big dining room (imagine it about half the Downton Abby dining room size; any children misbehavior was not tolerated). The roast lamb was served with roast potatoes, at least two green veggies, one of which would be Brussels sprouts, real mint sauce and of course gravy. So delicious. But a meat pie? That’s work. Considering our various food needs at this time I felt using ground lamb would be gentle on the digestion. And as there’s generally not enough time perhaps I should just buy a packet of puff pastry. Now that is a radical idea, or as my daughter said, “No, that is smart Ma!”  Plus consider it research as I have never used store bought pastry.

 

Let’s take a step back to catering days. I catered several parties for a client who loved meat pies. Making pastry covered pies for an evening of 20-50 people is challenging. But I came across an awesome hack. Make the pastry, measure, then roll it out the size of the pie, but BAKE it separately at the last minute and carefully slide it on top of the pie filling. Serve immediately. This works well.

 

A second important hack is to use dried mushrooms, I used Porcini. I consider this important because the liquid from soaking the mushrooms gives the pie a boost of umami and adds so much flavor hiding the fact that I am using no regular salt due to my low salt diet. Although dried mushrooms are expensive to buy, a small amount goes a very long way. There are 1.25 oz in the photo which was enough when soaked to flavor the whole pie. If you choose to use fresh mushrooms I recommend baby Bellas, however you will need to add some stock to compensate for the loss of the dried mushroom liquid.

 

Celia’s Lamb Pie

 

These weights and directions are general, as we all have a different meat pie in mind:

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2# ground meat, if using chicken I would recommend boneless thighs

1 red onion sliced into small cubes

1.25 oz dried mushrooms (see soaking directions)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

Olive Oil for sautéing

1 Tbsp Butter

Herbs, pepper as required

1 cup frozen peas added before baking

 

 

The meat filling:

 

1)         Break the mushrooms into smaller pieces and place in a glass or stainless bowl, then add hot water to cover.

            Press the mushrooms down to assure that they are covered completely by water.

            Leave to soak for at least a half hour then pour off the mushroom liquid through a sieve into a clean bowl and reserve.

 

2)         Coat a frying pan on medium heat with olive oil.

 

3)         Add chopped onions with chopped garlic and saute till transparent over a low heat.

 

4)         Chop the mushrooms and add to the onion mix with the butter, saute gently

 

5)         Scrape the onion mixture into a bowl and set aside

 

6)         Using the same pan add more oil if necessary and saute the meat until the raw pink is cooked.

 

7)         Mix in the onions, garlic and mushrooms, add herbs of choice, pepper etc

 

8)         Strain the mushroom liquid a second time using a fine sieve, coffee filter etc. to remove any dirt left in the bottom of the bowl.

 

9)         With the meat and onion mixture well combined add enough mushroom water to moisten but not drown it and bring to a light boil stirring and mixing well.

 

The meat is now ready. Blanch the frozen peas and add to the mix.

If not using immediately remove from heat and store in the fridge or freeze for future use.

 

Baking the pie

 

            If using the store bought puff pastry, read the directions very carefully re defrosting and baking temperature. 

 

            Try not to open the oven as that lets heat out and can deflate puff pastry. If the pastry is cooking faster than the pie filling arrange some foil strips over the areas which are getting too brown. 

 

            Every oven is different and convection ovens usually take less time than regular ovens. But you know your own oven.

 

            If baking the pastry to add to the filling, again follow the instructions on the packet and after rolling the pastry to your desired size place it on a sheet of baking parchment and on to the baking sheet. 

 

 

One final thought. Do you remember the sugar plum recipe I did last Holidays, Julia will supply the link and here you can be ahead of the holiday gift list with a different sweetmeat. Just remember the recipe makes a large amount of sugar plums so consider halving it. I do.

Food that's too smart to eat

photo by H. Zell via Wikimedia Commons

HALLIE EPHRON: Recently I read in the Huffington Post that Gwyneth Paltrow won’t eat octopus because they’re so smart. (This is what I do instead of writing my next book.)
“Octopus are too smart to be food. They have more neurons in their brains than we do. I had to stop eating them because I was so freaked out by it.” One famously escaped from its tank at the New Zealand Aquarium, slithered down a drain pipe, and returned to the ocean.

Sound flaky? Not to me. There are several foods I won’t eat because they’re too smart. Octopus. Dolphin. Guinea pig. Whale.

So why is it okay to eat dumb food but not smart food? This is a question I prefer not to ask myself.

Other foods I won’t eat for other reasons: shrimp that isn’t wild caught (they’re destroying mangroves that protect the coastline in order to farm at the little creatures and harvesting them with slave labor in Southeast Asia.) Swordfish more than a few times a year (mercury). Eggs from chickens raised in those awful cages.

What’s on your I WON’T EAT IT list, and isn’t it nice to be well-off enough to be making these kinds of choices?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Well, I won't eat octopus because I don't like it. Calamari is too rubbery for me. I wouldn't eat anything that's endangered, and yes, there is something about dolphins that would squick me if someone put a plate in front of me.

by Fir0002 via Wikimedia Commons

In the summertime, we get fabulously free range eggs from my friends - I can literally see their chickens free-ranging around the dooryard whenever I visit. I admit, I've been too cheap to PAY for the good, cruelty-free eggs, but you're making me re-think that, Hallie. Now the Sailor is being fed by Uncle Sam and we're eating a dozen eggs every two weeks instead of two dozen eggs per week, I could afford the more humane (and tastier) product.

Food I was really grateful to find out WASN'T endangered? Conch. I fell in love with it the first time we visited the Bahamas, and I almost didn't eat it in Key West until someone told me, no, it's okay. There are still evidently plenty of Conch in the sea.

RHYS BOWEN: We had this discussion on Easter Sunday when I always serve leg of lamb. Now neither granddaughter will eat lamb because it's... well, it's a little lamb, isn't it?

Daughter Jane and I agreed that we are coming to feel the same way about eating meat. Cows are intelligent, so are pigs. Actually we don't eat much red meat any more but I do try to make an effort to buy grass fed, humanely raised beef. And chicken. And cage free eggs.

The trouble with going vegetarian is that it's hard to get enough B vitamins and legumes don't agree with my stomach. I love fish luckily. Even calamari and I cook calamari steaks so they cut like butter, Julia. Breaded, about a minute on each side.

Photo by Sandos at the English language Wikipedia

I haven't eaten veal for many years after I read how it is raised. I don't think I could eat grasshoppers or ants.And definitely not guinea pigs! we had an adorable one once who used to sit on my shoulder while I watched TV. Definitely not dolphin, although the dolphin they serve in the Caribbean is actually dolphin fish and not the mammal.
And I just saw on TV that plants send out distress signals to other plants when they are being eaten. What is left? Fruitarian?

JENN McKINLAY: I don't know, Rhys, I think the bananas would probably have separation anxiety about being ripped apart from their hand, because, little known fact (at least to me), a single banana is called a finger while a bunch of bananas is called a hand.

Okay, no more bananas for me! Honestly, I tried the vegetarian thing. I lasted two weeks. Hooligan 1 walked by me eating a burger and I ripped it out of his hands and ate it right in front of him. Wisely, he said not a word and slowly backed away.

I do try to eat all organic, cage free, not endangered foods, and I will try things like crickets just because you never know if you have a taste for them. Truly, feeding a family has never felt so complicated. And, yes, Hallie, we are sure lucky to have such first world problems.

INGRID THOFT: Tongue. I won't eat tongue. The idea of another animal's tongue touching my tongue and then swallowing it? It grosses me out!

I have no issues with lamb, veal, or anything else that is cute, nor do I give the alleged intelligence of the entrée any thought.

I agree with Julia on the calamari front; way too chewy for my taste. I'm not thrilled by the idea of bugs, but could probably swallow down a cricket or two. However, I draw the line at things that are still alive. Many moons ago, my parents were in Japan and were served lobster (which they love under normal circumstances,) and it was still squirming on their plates. Needless to say, the activity of the main dish detracted from the flavor!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Too smart. (Well, they weren't smarter than humans, but that's not the point.) There is a weird line that I draw, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

Eels, though, those I CAN put my finger on. Pass. Sea bass and other endangered things, I don't eat. And it's either halibut or haddock that's endangered, so I just skip both of them. No veal. I'm very fond of rack of lamb, so, even though it does give me pause...I grill it and enjoy it. Without a mental picture. Ingrid, with you on tongue.

I once interviewed a guy who was the director of the aquarium. And I asked (not for the interview) if he ate sushi. he said yes, absolutely, and he ate fish. His philosophy was that fish are provided by nature, and if we are humane and not wasteful, it's a celebration of how the world works.
The big change though, is duck. I love grilled duck breast, and it used to be one of my faves. Now, though, with Flo and Eddy and their duck friends swimming in our back yard pool, I cannot eat duck. When we see it on a menu, my husband and I exchange horrified looks.

LUCY BURDETTE: Hank, I think that's how the Native American people handle eating animals--to thank them for their sacrifice, etc, etc.
I will not eat veal, and try not to eat pork (because pigs are too

Squid photo © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia

smart), and won't eat squid after seeing them while snorkeling. We found a whole line of them--as we'd approach, they'd back away. We'd back away, and they'd approach. It seemed as if they were curious about us! (Not that I would eat squid anyway, LOL. Just ask Hallie...)

I feel almost as though I should be vegetarian, but I'm not there yet. But I do go the "kind raising" route, definitely no eggs from caged chickens. And yes, we are lucky, lucky, lucky to even have this question on our collective tables!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: If vegetables send out distress signals, then fruit must, too, right? So where do you draw the line once you go down that road?

I would like to know that things I eat have been humanely treated. I buy good local dairy milk, and really expensive local cage free eggs, and local grass fed beef. I try not to eat endangered fish, and I support local farmers. I am a little squeamish about veal these days, but it doesn't come up as a menu choice that often--nor does octopus, although I'm happy to eat calamari. (Thanks for reminding me about the squid steaks, Rhys. They are amazingly good if you don't overcook them.)
I know tongue sounds really icky, but I grew up going to a German deli here in Dallas that sold it as one of their cold lunch meats, and I loved it! What do I draw the line at? Brains, maybe. I remember my mom cooking them when I was a kid. Was it with scrambled eggs? Or did they just look like scrambled eggs? Now we're all totally grossed out.

But I can't help but think these are all such first world issues. I'm a lot more concerned about how to feed hungry people.

HALLIE: So what's on your 'Won't Eat It' list and where do you draw the line?