Pies and tarts, sweet and savoury, are comfort food and so versatile. Pot pies don’t require a pastry base, just a crisp lid and shepherd’s pie don’t need any pastry at all. Pies and tarts are a great way to let your inspiration run free and use up whatever you have on hand to make a deliciously comforting meal.
Potato, Smoked Eel & Fontina Tart This deliciously versatile potato & fontina tart can be vegetarian, but potatoes and smoked fish are such natural partners that I sometimes add smoked eel. Hot-smoked rainbow trout also works; either way use about 300g flesh if using seafood. If Fontina’s not available, use any mild washed rind cheese, […]
Guinea Fowl Bisteeya Variously written as bisteeya, bastilla, bestela, bastila, pastilla or pastila, this Moroccan pie has many variations but is traditionally an elaborately spiced preparation of pigeon, egg, almonds and warqa pastry, which is similar to Greek fillo pastry. It works well with almost any birds, including quail, chicken and guinea fowl, and is […]
Tarte Tatin Tarte Tatin is one of those classics that I didn’t attempt for a long time for fear it would be too tricky. Turns out it’s super quick and easy, especially if you use a good ready-made shortcrust pastry like Carême. It’s named after the Tatin sisters, Caroline and Stéphanie, who served it at […]
Greek Leek & Cheese Pie (Prasopita) I’ve always loved Greek pies like spanakopita (spinach and cheese), tiropita (cheese) and hortopita (wild weeds – see video below). Then I discovered this Greek leek and cheese pie, which might just be the most delicious of all. Prasopita is popular in Greece during Lent, when devout Orthodox Christians […]
Bacon & Egg Pie Bacon and egg pie is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and, as it’s great served at room temperature, it makes ideal picnic fare. Best of all, the ingredients will be on hand in a well-stocked fridge. I was introduced to this pie by my friend Janni Kyritsis who makes his […]
Tarte Flambee (Flammekueche) This traditional flatbread from Alsace is very similar to pizza. My Alsatian friend Isabelle, who serves it whenever friends gather at her house for drinks, doesn’t use a written recipe – but this one was inspired by watching her make it. It’s best to get everything prepared ahead of time, in fact […]
Orange & Almond Impossible Pie Impossible pie is so named because all the ingredients are mixed together in one bowl and then ‘miraculously’ separate into three layers in the oven, giving a soft pie base, a creamy custard filling and a crunchy coconut topping. Sounds impossible but it works every time! The recipe seems to […]
Apple & Almond Pies These simple apple and almond pies looks impressive because of the plaited pastry (a trick I learnt years ago from an Australian Women’s Weekly cookbook), but are quick and easy and can be assembled up to a day ahead. Butter puff pastry makes a big difference to the flavour and mouth-feel; […]
Pecan Pie with Maple Cream As an Aussie, I’ve never been convinced by putting pumpkin, a vegetable I associate with Sunday roasts, into a sweet pie; but I do love pecan pie, another American classic. Pecans are grown widely throughout the southern USA, where pecan pie is as popular as pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving tables […]
Spanakopita I developed my recipe for this classic dish years ago, in consultation with a Greek friend whose Mum made the best spanakopita I’d ever tasted. I use a 21cm square baking dish to give four chunky serves, but use whatever size you have alternating the pastry sheets in a way to cover all of […]
