A slow cooker filling

Here's a filling that uses your slow cooker and, other than 30 minutes prep, the rest is done by magic!

Steak Pie Filling

Servies 4/6

1kg/2.2lbs braising steak or stewing steak, cubed

glug of rapeseed or Canola oil

2 x Knorr beef stock pots

2 heaped tbsp tomato paste

2 heaped tbsp small chunk Branston pickle

or you could use your Balsamic Onion Jam!

Brown the meat in a frying pan, using a drop of rapeseed oil – do this in small batches – if you don't you'll get grey looking meat - it'll take ages and will stew. Using a slotted spoon pop the browned meat into the slow cooker.

Dissolve the stock pots in the residual pan juices, then add the tomato paste – make sure the paste is properly melted and “cooked out” - if you don't do this you'll get a bitter taste. Add your Branston, then add 250ml water, bring to the boil and tip over your meat. Slow cook on low for 4 hours. If your gravy is too thin then add a little slaked cornflour and thicken to taste.

You can make this filling ahead and freeze it, should you have a spare 30 minutes.

All that remains in your choice of lid – you could cheat and use a puff pastry sheet, make double the amount of Fast Flaky Pastry (given in “More pastry choices”) or create a “hot-pot” style, sliced potato lid from your ready-baked potato stash – there's an idea!

Life is so much easier this way.

Then there's an all-time favourite …

Finely diced onions – the easy way!

The best way of describing this technique is with a photo-guide, here goes :

all that's required is a small chopping board and

a sharp paring knife - peel a medium onion as shown

below

cut the onion half and

lay it flat on your chopping board – take a

close look at the onion and you'll see natural lines

take your paring knife and follow the lines in

the onion – slicing through leaving

the root alone, stopping short by 1.5cms/½”

approximately so that the onions stays

in tact

assuming you're right handed, hold the

onion with the root to your left and slice across the

onion finely with your paring knife, carefully,

keeping your fingers slightly tucked away

take it slowly and if this is your first attempt

I'd suggest you stop well short of the root as shown

then repeat with the remaining half - ta dah!

I've always diced onions using this method and was taught that the root is the cause of “tears”. I can honestly say that I've never had an issue.

Back to the remaining pie filling ideas ...

Balsamic Onion Jam – the photo guide

 

the onions, finely diced

cooked in the butter for 5-8 minutes

until they are opaque

simmered gently – for the first 10 minutes

you can see there's liquid at the edges

simmered for the final 10 minutes now

the liquid has disappeared and the consistency

is jam-like and darker in colour

here it is – in all its glory!

I like a relish that's finely cut, not large pieces that are difficult to “sit” on top of a biscuit with cheese or on top of a generous slice of good bread and butter, cheese and topped!

You could even add a tablespoon to soups or casseroles for extra flavour.

Speaking of finely diced and whilst we're on the subject … next up is a class on how to finely dice onions ...

Balsamic Onion Jam

I had planned a treat for supper – a Croque Monsieur with a side of fries and wanted a savoury “jam” or relish to serve with it. I love Balsamic Vinegar and so the following recipe ticked all the boxes. It's great too for anything cheese related for that matter like a Ploughman's Lunch or a cheese & pickle doorstep sandwich with fresh bread.

Here it is :

Balsamic Onion Jam - 4 of everything!

4 medium brown onions, finely diced

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

1 garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)

1 tbsp unsalted butter – 15g-30g

as a guide my “tablespoon” was exactly that -

from the cutlery drawer

the large frying pan measures 29cms/11” in diameter

and is non-stick

Using a large frying pan, cook the onions in the butter over a medium/high heat, stirring constantly for 5-8 minutes until they are opaque. Add the vinegar and sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the onions are cooked down to a jam-like consistency for 20-25 minutes. Do not cover the pan at any stage.

The recipe will give you 300g of jam.

Cool and place in a sealed container or a jar with a tightly fitting lid and keep in the fridge.

Photo guide coming up …

When is a pie not a pie … when it's a tart!

Here's a change – instead of the traditional “pie” why not a tart? Think of it as an upside down pie – in other words the filling is added to a pastry base.

In the Foolproof wholemeal pastry blog I mentioned there'd be a recipe example using the wholemeal pastry as a base instead of a lid!

The following came to pass because I wanted to create a tart and traditionally the solution is to make a quiche. It's confession time – I hate quiche! Quiche Lorraine has been around forever – very popular as I recall at the centre of every buffet in the 50s and has yo-yoed ever since – up in the 70s, down in the 80s. I realise now why I hate it – first up it's a custard base and I'm not a fan, then there's the soggy bottom, followed by an undercooked filling and then there's the addition of bacon, usually streaky – even if you crisp the bacon by the time it has been added to a custard and baked and it has de-crisped – if that's a word?!

Here's my alternative, which I know repeats the wholemeal pastry recipe – it's just for convenience :

Three Cheese Tart

Serves 4

The pastry case

8oz/225g Wholemeal Flour

4oz/110g unsalted butter – sliced, cubed or grated

Pinch of baking powder

Ice cold water to bind

The filling

2 medium onions, chopped

knob of butter, drop of rapeseed oil

12oz/350g grated cheese, 4oz/110g each mature

cheddar, Red Leicester and Gruyere

1 egg, beaten to bind

Black pepper

Grease and line a 9”/22cm dish or spring clip tin.

For the pastry case, use a food processor if you have one, pop the flour, baking powder and butter and blitz until breadcrumbs. Add a drop of ice cold water and blitz until the pastry comes together (do not over blitz). Tip the pastry out onto a sheet of clingfilm, using the film gather the pastry together into a ball and fridge for 30 mins.

Soften the chopped onions in the butter and rapeseed oil.

Add the cheese, onions, black pepper and beaten egg, set aside and fridge until you are ready to roll!

Roll out your pastry and fridge again until you are ready to bake.

Pre-heat your oven to 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

When you are ready to bake put the chilled filling into the chilled pastry and bake for 35/40 minutes until golden.

Leave the tart to cool, ideally it's served warm. If you cut into the tart when straight out of the oven the cheese filling will run – you need to leave it to settle.

This tart is excellent warmed the next day – if you're fortunate enough to have any leftovers!

Serve with beetroot – roasted or a relish and/or a slaw – roasted new potatoes too are a perfect addition.

This is my favourite “tart”. Other than tasting dishes as I go adjusting seasoning and flavour balance I'm not a nibbler or a grazer. This tart is the exception and requires all my willpower not to demolish any leftovers so to prevent that happening they are wrapped and frozen immediately before I get the chance! It freezes well.

I have three more pie filling ideas for you but just before we move on, a quick question, are you a fan of a ploughman's lunch or a cheese & pickle doorstep style sandwich? If yes then I have a treat in store – a Balsamic Onion Jam – coming up!

Fast Fish Pie – assembly, plus hints and tips

When you're ready to assemble, preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

You can use foil trays – 24x24cms to serve 4 or smaller if you want individual servings, otherwise a square casserole.

Open up your foiled fish and tip it into a large mixing bowl. Break the fish into chunks, gently, then season with black pepper.

If you're using cooked, peeled prawns, now is the time to add them – if you're using frozen prawns make sure they are properly defrosted in the fridge and discard any defrosting liquor.

There will be jelly from the cooked fish – discard or include – it's all flavour and will combine with the sauce you've made. If you've not used any smoked fish then you may want to add a sprinkle of salt. Add your Mornay sauce and fold to mix, gently.

Tip the mixture into your tray or casserole.

Add the sliced cooked potatoes, add a knob or two of butter and ground black pepper. If you're feeling really decadent then sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with vibrant fresh veggies, preferably steamed or, dare I say, with a coleslaw or, if feeling really Northern, mushy peas!

A final word on fish.

Some may say it's extravagant to use cod loin in a fish pie – they'd be right. However if you're trying to convince your family to eat fish it would be a good idea to use a fish that doesn't have any bones. Using smoked fish with non-smoked gives a far less “fishy” taste. Shop smart if you can and a reminder that Aldi's range of fish – including cod and haddock loin too – is excellent and the best value. The trick here is the delicious strong cheese sauce. Tick, tick and tick!

Oh and by the way the Dijon mustard is optional but it does give an excellent zing so worth a try even if you're not a fan of mustard generally. It adds flavour without blowing your head off.

My final tip - each of the elements for this filling and the pie as a whole can be made ahead, all that remains is assembly, and whilst I probably shouldn't be advocating eating supper in front of Netflix all that's required is a deep bowl and a fork – delicious comfort food!

Next up – when is a pie not a pie ...

The pie fillings – the fish pie

The first filling is fast – deliberately using a key ingredient already baked, from your stash of ready cooked baked potatoes. It uses another of my favourite sauces too.

Fast Fish Pie

Serves 4

2 large baking potatoes – stab carefully with a

paring knife, wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at

180fan/200c/Gas 6 – already done!

Set aside to cool then slice thinly – skin on or

off – personal choice

500g of fresh fish, wrapped in foil and baked for

15 minutes

If you want to cook ahead you could bake your

fish for the last 15 minutes of your potato baking

time – don't forget to use your timer!

Cool the cooked fish and then place in a sealed

container ready to use

Your fish can be a mixture of whatever you choose – for example, mix smoked haddock or cod with salmon and prawns – it's whatever floats your boat – pardon the pun. If you're using cooked peeled prawns as part of your 500g of fish then don't add them until you're assembling your pie.

Next up the sauce for your fish :

Mornay Sauce

Serves 4-6

40g unsalted butter

40g plain flour

600ml of milk – I use semi skimmed

150g mature Cheddar cheese

(or a combination of Cheddar and Gruyere)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for a minute, stirring and add the mustard – make sure you don't brown the mixture. Gradually add the milk whisking constantly and eventually bring to the boil, whisking until it's smooth and thick. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then add the cheese and season. I'd taste before you add salt – there's salt in the cheese – adjust accordingly. Your sauce should be a stiff consistency.

You can make the sauce ahead, fridge or freeze.

Assembly, plus hints and tips up next …