John Torode’s winter warming pie
John's serving up his recipe for a tasty winter warming pie. Filled with delicious ham, stuffing and even cauliflower cheese - it’s the perfect comfort food to feed the whole family.
John’s winter warming pie
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
For the sour cream pastry:
500g plain flour
400g butter
250g sour cream
170g packet dried sage and onion stuffing, cooked according to packet instructions and cooled.
For the pie filling:
About 300g mixed cooked carrots, cooked roast or boiled potatoes, cooked sprouts and cooked leeks
60g butter
1 large onion sliced
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
20 leaves of sage
100g vacuum pack chestnuts
300g gammon, chopped
5 Stuffing balls
Pinch of salt
400ml gravy
500g cauliflower cheese
1 egg, beaten
To serve:
Pickled Red Cabbage, Mustard, Tomato Ketchup
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C.
2. To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse again until it forms a paste.
3. Form into a ball and wrap into cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Chop the cooked vegetables into large pieces the size of a golf ball.
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan and add the onions along with the nutmeg and thyme. When the leeks are soft, add the chopped sage and cook for a minute until fragrant and then add the chestnuts. Add the meat bits, ham, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Next, add the cooked vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and cool a little.
7. Now add the gravy and mix well - it wants to be a little chunky. Lastly, fold in the cauliflower cheese.
8. Roll the pastry out to about 5mm thick and use about two-thirds to line the base of the tin.
9. Roll out the remaining pastry to twice the size of the lid. Spread the stuffing on half of it and fold over the other half to cover, then roll out a bit more.
10. Spoon the pie filling mix into the pie dish, then place the pastry lid over the top. Use a fork or your thumb and forefinger to crimp all around and seal it.
11. Beat the egg yolk with a little salt then brush the egg wash all over the pastry and slash the top so as it cooks it will open and crisp with the stuffing inside.
12. Cook the individual pies for 25 -30 minutes and a large one for 50 minutes an hour for 35-40 minutes, or until risen and golden brown.