Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Sat 15 Aug 2009 12:59:17p, Ophelia told us...
>
>> sf wrote:
>>> On Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:40:59 +0100, "Ophelia"
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> You have asked me for a recipe for steak pie.
>>> <snip>
>>>> If you don't like kidney, simply leave it out and add more steak.
>>>> I often put mushrooms in too.
>>>
>>> Mushrooms sound great, I'll try that.
>>>>
>>>> As for pastry, sometimes I use puff pastry, but to make that from
>>>> scratch is fiddly and takes time. If you can get a good ready made
>>>> butter puff pastry, that is acceptable. Shortcrust is easy and
>>>> good and I used to make a pastry called 'rough puff pastry' which
>>>> I like very much.
>>>>
>>>> It consists of cutting lard into small chunks and placing in the
>>>> fridge to harden. They are then mixed with flour and salt and very
>>>> cold water. The lard in not 'rubbed in' but kept in chunks. Roll
>>>> out the pastry and fold into three. Do this three times and then
>>>> rest it in the fridge for a while after which roll it out to cover
>>>> your dish. It must be kept very cold until it goes into the oven
>>>> so handle very sparingly.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/c.../english/mums-
>>>> steak-and-kidney-plate-pie.html
>>>>
>>>> If you need to ask anything more.. then ask away
>>>>
>>>> A last thought.. suet pastry is wonderful too but I am not sure you
>>>> can get the suet, although I think Wayne has had some in the past.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks! I didn't know the meat is precooked. That answers a lot of
>>> questions!
>>>
>>> I was particularly interested in your crust recipe. That might be
>>> what I had in London. It wasn't like American pie pastry (grandma
>>> used to make her pie crust with 100% lard) and it wasn't puff
>>> pastry, but it was really, really flaky. At the time I wondered if
>>> it was a "hot water" crust which is another type I've never made.
>>
>> Hot water crust is usually raised pie crust, often used in pork
>> or game
>> pie. It is quite solid and not really flaky.
>
> I know the hot water crust of which you speak, O, as I've used it to
> make raised cases for pork pie. However, there is an American
> version of hot water pastry which is not related, and which is often
> used for any manner of ordinary pie, sweet or savory. Its technique
> was an attempt at making an acceptable pie crust easier to make.
> Here's but one example:
>
> 1/2 cup shortening or lard
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> 1/4 cup boiling water
> 1 1/2 cup sifted flour
> 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
>
> The shortening should be soft but not melted. Sprinkle it with salt
> and add boiling water. Stir and mix quickly and continue until
> shortening is melted and a uniform mixture is obtained. Cool to room
> temperature.
>
> Sift flour and baking powder together and add all at once to fat
> mixture. Cut flour in with a pastry blender or two knives,
> manipulating as little as possible. Chill for about 20 minutes, turn
> out on lightly floured board and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.
> Press dough lightly into pie plate so that no air bubbles are trapped
> and trim off edge.
>
> For a pie shell, prick the entire surface with a fork and bake in hot
> oven 450F for 12 minutes. If filling is to be baked in shell, or
> pastry is to be used for a two-crust pie, do not prick dough with a
> fork.
>
> After lining pie plate, add filling mixture, and for a two-crust pie,
> moisten edge of lower shell with water.
>
> Roll out dough for upper crust and make a few small slashes in centre
> to allow for escape of steam. Fit over the top of the pie and press
> edges together. Trim off excess dough and pinch edges firmly together
> to seal in any juice. Bake in hot oven 450F for first 10 minutes,
> then reduce temperatue to moderate 375F to finish cooking the filling.

Thanks for sharing that Wayne)

sf was wondering if the one she had in London was hot water crust pastry and
I supposed it was the one I described