From chicken pie to fish pie to veggie pie there's a pie recipe to suit every taste. Go the whole hog with homemade pastry or use shop-bought for a quick and easy mid-week meal.
Use our dressings to add a touch of zip and make the perfect, ultimate comfort food which is tasty, hearty and satisfying.
CHICKEN PIE
Adding a hint of lemon lifts this classic dish to a different level. Simple, hearty and delicious!
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter, plus extra for frying
1 heaped tbsp flour
200ml/7fl oz chicken stock
3 tbsp double cream
3-4 tbsp Lemon Dressing
sprig of fresh tarragon (optional)
1 medium green pepper, sliced
handful button mushrooms, wiped and quartered
400g/14oz cooked chicken, shredded
225g/8oz ready-made puff pastry
1 medium free-range egg, beaten
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C (fan)/Gas 6.
For the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the flour and cook slowly over a low heat for 3 minutes, or until the mixture smells toasty. Pour in the chicken stock, turn up the heat and stir constantly until simmering. Add the cream and gently simmer until the sauce until it has a syrupy consistency. Add the tarragon. Turn off the heat.
In another pan, gently fry the chicken, peppers and mushrooms in the Lemon Dressing for 5 minutes, then add to the sauce.
Butter an ovenproof dish large enough to hold the chicken pie mixture with room to spare. Add the chicken mixture to the dish.
Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface, to a thickness of about ¼in/1cm. Place the pastry over the filling and carefully trim the edges. Use the trimmings to make cut-out shapes to decorate the surface of the pie. Cut a couple of air holes with a knife to allow the steam to escape. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven for about 25-35 minutes. The top should be nicely browned and the filling piping hot. Remove, allow to cool slightly and serve.
Spicy Butternut squash & spinach filo pie
This hearty, spicy combination of sweet butternut squash, spicy chilli and creamy, salty feta combines to make a delicious centre piece for any table.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash (about 1kg), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm dice
2 red onions, cut into wedges
3-4tbs Sweet Chilli Dressing
400g bag spinach
100g feta cheese, crumbled
4 sheets filo pastry
1 tbsp olive oil
green salad, to serve (optional)
Method
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the squash and onions in an ovenproof pie dish, drizzle with the Sweet Chilli Dressing. Season and cook for 20 mins until the squash is tender and the onions are starting to char at the edges.
Meanwhile, put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettleful of boiling water. Squeeze out any excess liquid and stir into the squash mix. Dot over the feta, crumple up the pastry and place on top, then brush with the oil. Return to the oven and cook for a further 15 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve with a green salad, if you like.
Salmon & Asparagus lattice pie
Simply delicious with a hint of citrus and ginger spice to complement the gentle taste of salmon & asparagus.
Ingredients
170g salmon fillets
4-5 tbs Orange & Ginger Dressing
100g Asparagus tips
85g watercress , chopped
4 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
425g pack ready-rolled puff pastry sheets
1 egg, beaten
Steamed Broccoli to serve
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Drizzle the Orange & Ginger Dressing over the salmon fillets, wrap in foil or grease proof paper and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Steam the Asparagus until tender. Rinse in cold water until cool. Drain well and set aside. In a mini chopper or food processor, blitz the watercress and crème fraîche with some seasoning.
Unroll the pastry sheets. Place one on a baking sheet. Cut out a 2cm-wide border from the second sheet, like a picture frame, and stick this onto the first sheet with some of the beaten egg. Prick the base all over with a fork. Bake for 10 mins until golden.
Cut remaining pastry into 2cm wide strips.
Spread the crème fraiche on to the base, scatter with the flaked salmon, broccoli and seasoning, and top with the strips of pastry to make a lattice.
Brush with beaten egg and cook for 20-25 mins until pastry is golden and cooked through and the filling is hot. Serve with green beans.