Corned Beef & Potato Pie
How to make an outstanding, Corned Beef & Potato Pie, as always easy step by step instructions, from start to finish.
Ingredients
Method
- Pastry ingredients:
- 330g / 11½oz Plain or All-purpose flour
- 85g / 3oz Cold Butter
- 85g / 3oz Lard or a solid vegetable fat
- 60mls / 4tbls Cold Water
- 8g / 1tsp Salt
- Filling Ingredients:
- 900g / 2lb Mashing Potatoes
- 340g / 12oz Canned Corned Beef
- 85g / 3oz Spring or Green onions (Cut small)
- 1g / ¼tsp White pepper
- 1 Small Egg (Egg-wash)
- Making the Pastry:
- By far the best way to make shortcrust pastry is to use a food processor. It’s very quick and easy, but more importantly, it keeps all the ingredients cold, which is essential when making shortcrust pastry.
- Add the flour, salt, and cold butter to your processor with the blade tool attached.
- Pulse the machine until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency; this should only take 30 to 45 seconds.
- Next step; set the machine running while slowly pouring in the ice-cold water.
- Once the pastry comes together and starts rolling around the machine, it’s done (see the video), once again, this should only take 30 to 45 seconds to complete.
- Once done, remove it from the machine.
- You should now have around 560g / 20oz of pastry.
- Divide it into 2 pieces, 1st, 310g / 11oz for the base of the pie, and 2nd, 250g / 9oz for the top or lid of the pie.
- Wrap each piece in cling film, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using it.
- Making the filling:
- Peel, cut, and wash the potatoes. Boil for 20 minutes.
- Once the potatoes have finished boiling, drain and mash (do not add salt or butter).
- Dice and add the corned beef, spring onions and white pepper to the hot mash, and thoroughly mix until all the ingredients are blended together.
- Cover the mixture and allow it to completely cool.
- Making the Pie:
- To make the egg-wash: in a small container, vigorously whisk the egg with the dash of milk added, until it is loose and runny.
- Grease a suitable pie tin, (See the link below for the pie tin that I use)
- Roll out the larger of the 2 pastries, to 3mm thick circle, (see the video for my rolling technique)
- Line the greased pie tin with the pastry, gently push it right down into the corners of the tin, leave plenty pastry hanging over the rim.
- Using a fork, prick a few holes all over the base of the pastry, this is called docking the pastry, it prevents the pastry from bubbling up when baking.
- Add the filling and level it off with a fork, try to dome the mixture so the middle is slightly higher than the edges,
- Roll out the other piece of pastry, 3mm thick once more, roll it up onto the rolling pin.
- Brush egg-wash all around the lip of the pastry base.
- Line up and unroll the pastry lid over top of the pie base.
- Gently press it down with the palm of your hands.
- Using your forefingers and thumbs, crimp all around the edge of the pie, (see the video for this technique).
- Trim off the excess pastry, and re-crimp to tidy it all up.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F/ Gas mark 3
- Cut a few vent holes in the middle of the
- Brush the whole surface with the egg-wash.
- Optional: you can add various patterns and shapes to the pie using up any spare leftover pastry, (see the video for an example)
- Get the pie into the preheated oven, bake for 45 minutes.
- Halfway through, turn the pie 180° for even baking.
- Once done, remove it from the oven, allow it rest for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
- Get it out of the pie tin, slice and serve hot or cold.
- Enjoy.
Equipment & products used in my kitchen and videos
