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Pie and mash with liquor
East End minced beef pies with mash and green parsley liquor
Pie, mash and liquor is the working-class lunch of the East End of London, served in tiled pie shops from Bethnal Green to Walthamstow since the 1800s. Small minced beef pies with a soft suet-style base and a crisp puff lid sit next to a scoop of smooth mash, all flooded with liquor, a thin, bright green parsley sauce. Pie shops make the liquor with the stock from stewed eels; this version uses fish or vegetable stock. Locals add chilli vinegar. Chef's tip: keep the liquor thin and pourable, like single cream, not thick like gravy.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pies
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 ⅛ lb beef mince
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 ¼ cups beef stock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 14 oz shortcrust pastry
- 11 ½ oz puff pastry
- 1 eggbeaten
For the liquor
- 1 oz butter
- 1 oz plain flour
- 2 cups fish or vegetable stock
- 1 oz curly parsleyvery finely chopped
- 1 tsp malt vinegar
- 4 tbsp chilli vinegar (optional)to serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan and soften the 1 onion for 5 minutes. Add the 1 ⅛ lb beef mince and brown well, breaking it up, then stir in the 1 tbsp plain flour, 1 ¼ cups beef stock, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp white pepper.
10 minStep 2: Simmer for 20 minutes until thick and the mince is cooked through to 160°F. Cool completely; a common mistake is filling pastry with hot meat, which melts it.
40 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Line four 12 cm pie tins with rolled 14 oz shortcrust pastry, fill with the mince and top with circles of 11 ½ oz puff pastry. Crimp, brush with 1 egg and cut a small hole in each.
15 minStep 4: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the lids are puffed and deep golden and the filling bubbles.
28 minStep 6: For the liquor, melt the 1 oz butter, stir in the 1 oz plain flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the 2 cups fish or vegetable stock and simmer for 5 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon. Stir in the 1 oz curly parsley and 1 tsp malt vinegar just before serving so it stays bright green.
8 minStep 7: Serve each pie upside down beside the mash, smoothed with the back of a spoon, with liquor poured over and 4 tbsp chilli vinegar on the table.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pie and mash with liquor take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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