Christmas Dinner in a Pie!

 

 

 

 

 

A Christmas dinner in a pie –  here’s my version – I make this in the week after Christmas every year. One can only eat so much cold turkey and ham, right?

I simply use whatever needs to be ‘moved on’, so this recipe is a worthy contender for Bottom-of-the-fridge-Monday, or any day really!

EQUIPMENT:

• a large frying pan
• a pie dish, and a baking tray to put it on. I used a fairly large but shallow dish, which means everyone gets a nice chunk of pastry!
• A pie funnel (optional)

INGREDIENTS: This is what I put into the recipe whose pictures you see here:

• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons of oil and a good-sized knob of butter
• 12 cooked or uncooked Brussel sprouts (always optional 😉 ) outer leaves removed and each cut into 2 or 4 segments

• handful of fresh (or frozen) peas
• teaspoon of thyme
• splash of white wine
• slightly heaped dessert spoon of plain flour
• 1 level teaspoon of mustard powder
• 300mls of hot chicken stock or leftover gravy
• 200g cooked Turkey breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 275g Christmas ham, cut into bite-sized pieces.
• 150mls cream (I had whipping cream, so I used that)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• splash of brandy – again, optional.
• Ready-rolled Puff pastry – or make your own – here’s my shortcrust recipe https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-easy-short-crust-pastry/ just leave out the sugar, but you knew that, didn’t you? Please also see NOTES
• egg wash (one egg with a dash of milk, beaten together) or not..

METHOD:

• Melt the oil and butter in the pan
• add the onion, thyme and sprouts and cook gently for 5 minutes until the onions are softened.
• Add the turkey and ham, and stir around.
• Add wine, if using, allow it to bubble up and reduce until there’s about tablespoonful of buttery juice left in the bottom of the pan
• Add the flour and mustard powder, stir in well, and allow to cook for a minute or so.

• Add the stock/leftover gravy and combine to make a sauce.

• Taste and season as required – you really won’t need too much seasoning.
• Add the cream and combine gently

• Add the brandy.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 20-30 minutes, or just go straight ahead and cover with the pastry. I think it’s better if the filling is cooled, but it’ll be grand in any case.
• Heat the oven to 180 Fan
• If you have a pie funnel, pop it into the middle of the dish
• Transfer the filling into your chosen dish, and dampen the edges of the dish with cold water.
• If you’re using frozen peas, add them now. Just sprinkle them over the top of the filling.
• Gently unroll the pastry and place it over the filling.
• Pat down firmly at the edges, cut off any surplus pastry and entertain yourself by cutting out leaves, flowers or whatever takes your fancy, and use the egg wash as a glue to stick these onto the top of the pastry lid.

• Stab the pastry a couple of times to allow steam to escape.
• If you’re using the pie funnel, clear the opening of pastry
• Liberally paint the pastry with the remaining egg wash

 

• Put the pie dish onto a baking tin, and put into the oven at 180º Fan for 10 minutes, the reduce the temperature to 160º and cook for another 20 minutes or so, until the top is golden and crispy, and the filling is bubbling.
• Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, and something non-Christmassy, like tender stem broccoli.

NOTES:

• Before you get yourself into a pastry tizzy, always remember that you can top this pie with mashed potato too, or chopped up leftover roast potatoes
• Leave out the wine and Brandy if it’s not your thing. Add the zest and juice of an orange instead – it makes a lovely difference.
• This makes a really decent sized pie, feeding at least 6 hungry people – way too much for us two, so I’ve frozen some to cheer us during the dark days of January..
• This year (2024), I managed to use up the last of the Christmas gravy, most of the remaining turkey and ham, and I roasted the last of the parsnips and some left over croquet potatoes while the pastry was cooking – Result!