pot pies

I think it's a good idea to bake pies in pots. When I read the latest issue on Donna Hay Magazine about pot pies, I told myself I've got to give myself a good try on this. I just love the idea to scoop out the pie filling out of individual serving pot.

The filling I chose to make is my own recipe as I know what my hubby likes and dislike and if one recipe is way too rich for them. I remember one time, my aunty Dorris invited us for lunch and she made this Shepherd's kind-of pie. She grated a good amount of carrots and small diced of beef tasted really delicious. I thought it would be pretty good if I just would do my fillin glike that, which I did. I put peas in my beef filling as well. I like to see brown, orange, and green color in my cooking. It looks pretty.



I found ramekins my hubby made a few years ago (even when we had not met yet) and they were beautifully-made I could tell. He was a good potter at his years (I wished I had been there watching him pedalling the wheel).

And about the pastry, you can call me a decorating-crazy-to-put-on-the-list, but I really was keen on decorate the pastry of each pot. It was fun.



Do try to use your own imagination. It's fun to create something you enjoy and to be enjoyed by the rest of your family. It's about warming up the Winter Nights.


Beef Potpies
Inspired by Donna Hay Magazine
Original recipe is mine.

Good pastry, homemade or 2 sheets of ready-made (put one sheet on to another)

500g beef fillet
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup diced mushroom
1 cup peas
2 cups diced carrot
1 cup diced potato
3 tomatoes, diced
1 Tbs tomato paste
Wochester sauce
garlic salt
white sugar
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
2 cups good beef stock
1 Tbs olive oil

Heat the oil on a frying pan, sautee chopped onion and garlic until the onion become translucent and fragrant. Add in diced mushroom and beef until beef are brown. Transfer to a casserole dish, and put the rest of the ingredients in the pot and bake for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the pastry, cut into four equal parts. Transfer the pie filling into the pots (I would wait until the filling is quite cool, so the steam won't wet the pastry). Put the pastry on each pot to cover the filling, and with a sharp knife, cut around the mouth of the pots, decorate as you wish and brush them with eggwash (one egg yolk and 1 tsp milk).

Bake at 210C at on a preheated oven for 20 mintues or until the pastry turn golden brown and puffed up. Serve warm.