Pie And Mash With Liquor, An East London Classic-Updated
Before popular fast-food favorites like burgers, kebabs, and fried chicken, London had Pie and Mash with Liquor, an East London Classic-Updated.
Equipment
- 1 food processor 10-cup
- 4 rimmed baking sheet pans
- 1 double boiler
- 1 potato masher
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 rubber spatula
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Homemade Pie Crust: Prepare the pie dough the day before: https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/09/04/conquering-the-crust/
Ingredients for the Roasted Garlic:
- 1 large bulb garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
Ingredients for the Meat Pie Filling:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pounds lean ground sirloin (90% lean, 10% fat)
- 1 large onion Diced
- 4 cloves roasted garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsps kosher salt
- 2 tsps black pepper Freshly-ground
- 2 tbsps fresh thyme leaves Finely chopped
- 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp English ground mustard
- 1/2 cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) Substitute beef bone broth
- 1/2 cup beef consommé
- Homemade Pie Crust
- *egg wash
Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes:
- 5 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes Boiled and peeled
- 3 tbsps butter Unsalted, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese Room temperature
- 4 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/2 cup half-and-half (start with half a cup, add more if needed)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
Ingredients for the Liquor (Gravy):
- 2 cups fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves Roughly chopped
- 2 cloves roasted garlic
- 10 ounces chicken broth Low-sodium
- 3 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsps butter Unsalted
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
Instructions
- Click the link below:Prepare the pie dough the day before:https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/09/04/conquering-the-crust/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 dish3. 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 dough7. 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 the 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 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.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 heat to med-low, 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. Press gently to let any excess air out. 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. Turn the pan up to medium heat and whisk 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.