Before popular fast-food favorites like burgers, kebabs, and fried chicken, London had Pie and Mash with Liquor, an East London Classic-Updated.

As a young girl, I spent a few years, from late 1969 to the early 70’s, living with my mom and younger sister, in a town called Vauxhall, in London. It was an experience and somewhat traumatic. I was born and raised in New Jersey, so this was quite a change for a young girl. What I did love was learning about my mom and where she grew up.

Meeting my extended family, cousins, aunts, and uncles, was awesome. The other was the food. I tasted dishes I would otherwise never have had the opportunity to. I can remember the street markets. Food markets, like I’d never seen before, and smells that were so unfamiliar to me. One that stood out was this specialty small eatery. It had tiled walls and the tubs of jellied eels.  I remember it like it was yesterday. The look of pure joy on my mom’s face when she saw that they offered Pie and Mash.

I’d never heard or smelt anything like it before. Now, I was only 8 years old. Then she carried the food over to the table. She explained to us that there were bits of eel in the gravy (liquor). I was like no way, absolutely not, I’m not tasting that! Forget about the fact that the gravy (liquor) was green. Oh, and my sister, well, she stared at the food with a blank look on her face.

My mom is no longer with us, so I wanted to pay homage to her by making her childhood favorite, Pie And Mash.  From what I’ve read, Pie and Mash is a traditional working-class food. There are a few stubborn posts on this cuisine that have survived. The jellied eels were very popular- cooked eels, set in an aspic jelly made from eel bones. They were an acquired taste and not a gastronomic treat. I would have to agree with that statement. If I’m being honest, I’ve tasted eel at sushi restaurants, and they were delicious, but jellied eel is not as appetizing to me.

They say the English eel has a delicate flavor, which is why it pairs so well with the bland flavor of the potatoes. Today, however, the eel, pie, and mash shops are under threat because the European eel is becoming threatened. Since 1980, the population of eels has dropped by 95%. Some conclude that overfishing of the species, pollution, and changes in ocean currents brought on by climate change may be the cause, but no one knows. In 2010, a huge number of migrating elves were spotted swimming up the River Severn, and maybe that’s a good thing to be happening.  Pie and mash with eel. Is still common in south-east London, and in many parts of Kent and Essex.

The picture above is the classic Pie and Mash with Jellied Eels. I’m going to update this dish, without the eel, of course. I believe that a dish was so important to the way of life in 19th-century London and can be revived.

I’m going to be using roasted garlic in my parsley gravy. When you roast garlic, it becomes sweet, and I think this will add extra flavor to the gravy.

They should have a beautiful, evenly baked golden crust. Let cool for about 15 minutes before cutting into the pie.

Prep Time: 40 minutes (includes roasting the garlic)
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time For Meat Pies: 20 to 25 minutes
Cooking Time For Potatoes: 25 minutes (10 minutes in the hot water with the heat off)
Cooking Time For Gravy: 5 to 7 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 1 (10-cup) food processor, 4 rimmed baking sheet pans, double boiler, potato masher, chef’s knife, cutting board, rubber spatula

Ingredients for the Homemade Pie Crust:
Prepare the pie dough the day before:
(link below)

Ingredients for the Roasted Garlic:
1 large bulb of garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground

Ingredients for the Meat Pie Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of lean ground sirloin (90% lean, 10% fat)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper, freshly-ground
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of English ground mustard
1/2 cup of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon), substitute beef bone broth
1/2 cup of beef consommé
Homemade Pie Crust (link below)
*egg wash

Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes:
5 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, boiled and peeled
3 tablespoons of butter, unsalted, room temperature
4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1/2 cup of half-and-half (start with half a cup, add more if needed)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground

Ingredients for the Liquor (Gravy):
2 cups of fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, roughly chopped
2 cloves of roasted garlic
10 ounces chicken broth, low-sodium
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground

Step-By-Step Instructions:
1. Make the pie crust the day before and keep it in the fridge.
2. Roast the garlic and prepare all the prep for the dish
3. Start by boiling the potatoes.
4. Make the meat filling and let it cool.
5. Mash the potatoes, and set a double boiler on the stove to keep the potatoes warm.
6. Roll out the pie dough.
7. Fill the pies and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Make the gravy. Cover and keep warm.
9. Bake the meat pies.

Instructions for the Roasted Garlic:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut the top 1/4 inch off the head of garlic to expose the cloves. On a rimmed baking sheet, place the garlic bulb onto a piece of foil (large enough to wrap the bulb in. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic. Let the oil sink into the cloves. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper. Bake for 40 minutes. The garlic is done when the cloves are completely soft and pierced with a paring knife. Check the garlic after 40 minutes. Time may vary depending on the size of the garlic bulb. Once done, let cool slightly. Press on the bottom of the clove to push it out of its paper.

Cut the top 1/4 inch off the head of garlic to expose the cloves. On a rimmed baking sheet, place the garlic bulb onto a piece of foil (large enough to wrap the bulb in. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic. Let the oil sink into the cloves. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper. Bake for 40 minutes. The garlic is done when the cloves are completely soft and pierced with a paring knife. Check the garlic after 40 minutes. Time may vary depending on the size of the garlic bulb. Once done, let cool slightly. Press on the bottom of the clove to push it out of its paper.

Instructions for the Meat Pie Filling:
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. To the pan add the diced onion and sautè for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Next, add the ground beef. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon to start it browning. Once the meat is brown, for 5-7 minutes, add the roasted garlic, tomato paste, English ground mustard, fresh thyme leaves (if substituting dried thyme, use half the amount), kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes before adding the all-purpose flour. Stir the flour to combine. Add the red wine and beef consommé. Again, stirring everything through. Bring up to a bubble, then reduce to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Instructions for the Mashed Potatoes:
In a large stockpot, add 4 large red potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook at a gentle boil until they are fork-tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes into a colander. Allow them to cool down enough to peel.  Return them to the warm pot. Take a knife and break the potatoes up into chunks. Add softened butter, 4 cloves of roasted garlic, softened cream cheese, half-and-half, kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Take a potato masher, and mash the potatoes until creamy and smooth. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl on a double boiler (set a glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering water over low heat). Make sure there is enough water in the pot, but not so much that the water touches the bowl.

Instructions for rolling out the Homemade Pie Crust:
On a floured board, cut each disk in half. Roll each half out into a circle 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch in thickness. Lay them out on 4 sheets of parchment paper. Place the filling on the bottom 1/3 of the circle. In a bowl, have egg wash on standby. Brush the outer rim of the circle with the egg wash. Bring the bottom half of the pie dough up to meet the top half, then press gently to release any excess air. Using a fork, crimp the edges. With a sharp knife, trim any dough to make a nice, clean border around the crimped edges. Brush the top of the pies with *egg wash. Transfer pies (using a spatula) from the parchment paper to sheet pans. Move the sheet pans, with the pies, to the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes. Prepare the gravy (liquor).

Instructions for the Liquor (Gravy):
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add the roasted garlic and the chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. Pulse until ingredients are finely minced. Next, add the tablespoon of white vinegar, and pulse 1 or 2 more times.

In a saucepan on medium heat, add unsalted butter. Once that’s melted, add the flour, whisking the flour and butter together, and cook gently, 1-2 minutes, until light blond. Next, add the chicken broth, kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Continue cooking this until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to very low, and add the parsley mixture, whisking slowly, until the color is a beautiful green. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the sauce mixture into a sieve over a bowl. Strain completely. Return the smooth parsley sauce (liquor) to the saucepan. Turning the pan up to medium heat whisking continuously. Bring the gravy back up to a bubble until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon; it’s done. Turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and keep warm. Remove the pies from the fridge and bake.

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Take the meat pies from the refrigerator. Transfer them to the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. When the pies are done, let them rest for 15 minutes.

To serve the Pie And Mash With Liquor, use a spatula to scrape the mashed potatoes along one side of the plate. First, ladle a little of the gravy (liquor) onto the plate. Place the meat pie on top. Spoon a little more gravy over the top of the pie. Serve hot.

There you have it, my Pie and Mash with Liquor, an East London Classic-Updated.

Notes:
1) If you want to make this dish in advance, have the meat pies prepared and in the fridge, ready to be baked. You can also have the potatoes done, covered, and sitting over a double boiler on low heat. At that point, you could bake off the pies while making the gravy.

2) *eggwash: an egg wash is a mixture of 1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of milk or water.

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/09/04/conquering-the-crust/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/03/06/my-recipe-for-english-meat-pie/