Who Doesn't Love A Great Pie?

Chrissie and I started making pies from the first day we opened The Gourmet Grocer in 1991 and we are still making them using the same recipes today. Our aim from the outset was to make pies without the use of flavour boosters and artificial flavouring. You might be horrified at the additives used in many of the popular brands of pies on the market. Nearly all but true artisan bakers usually revert to using commercial pie mixes. The recipe from one such manufacturer which doesn't state the ingredients of their pie mix on their website states to boil mince with water then add a slurry of their pie mix; that is their meat pie filling!

We will be starting to post our favourite pie filling recipes over the next few weeks but we wanted to make some helpful points about pie making in general.

There is no need to use traditional pie tins. We really like the size of pies baked in a set of standard muffin tins. They are a perfect snack size and a very simple way to make a batch of a dozen pies.

We also enjoy making cocktail or party sized pies using readily available aluminium foils or mini quiche tins. For a family sized pie you don't have to always go with a traditional round base. You could use a square or rectangular slice tray for instance.

We have successfully frozen almost every type of pie we have made. They are a handy back-up for a lunch or dinner you haven't had time to prepare.

Our preference for pastry bases is our savoury sourdough pastry here . You can use your own favourite shortcrust pastry recipe, or buy frozen ready made shortcrust. For the lids we use frozen ready made puff pastry, however, if you are a real enthusiastic pastry maker you can make your own.

Ensure the pastry for the pie base makes full contact with your pie tins so that the pastry bakes and browns evenly on all sides and the bottom. Crimp your bases and lids together fully using a fork or pinching them by hand. We always glaze our pies with beaten egg to produce a rich golden top. Always make a hole in the lid to allow steam to escape to ensure the filling doesn't expand and lift the lids off.

We usually bake at 230C until the pies are a deep golden colour and fully baked on the base. Depending on the size of your pies, baking time should be between 20 and 30 minutes. To avoid them steaming in the tins, turn the pies out onto a cooling rack as soon as they can be safely handled.

Our favourite pie fillings will be available for you to try very soon.