What could be more consoling and comforting than a homemade pie? We love them all year round, but they are never nicer than in these last moments of winter, the days lengthening steadily but the temperatures still skulking in single digits. Spring is just around the corner, but until it arrives, we will eke out the last droplets of the cosy evenings by making a pie, lighting a fire, pouring a good glass of red and mulling on spring delights to come. Plus, they work fantastically well as make-ahead suppers for friends, served up alongside some nice greens or a ladleful of mash. As they say, easy as pie.
Braised Beef And Mushroom Pie
Olive Magazine
Rosie Birkett’s braised beef and mushroom pie is a thing of golden beauty, its flaky crust giving way to succulent meat, earthy chestnut mushrooms, aromatic thyme and sweet Marsala wine. As she writes about the art of pie-making, ‘The reason that I love pies goes beyond the fact that they are warming and comforting to eat. There’s so much pleasure to be taken in the crafting of a homemade pie, from the browning of the meat or veg for the filling, to the bringing together of the pastry – this is a slow, gentle act of self-care and anticipation which is worth setting aside a few hours for.’ The absolute perfect thing to serve up to hungry friends around a candlelit table or as ideal post-walk hearty fare. Get the recipe.
Pork And Chicken Picnic Pie
The National Trust
If you’d like to make your pie portable, then try your hand at The National Trust’s pork and chicken pie. A world away from petrol station-bought affairs, this one tastes at once indulgent and wholesome, and is a great deal easier to rustle up than we imagined it would be. Once its ready, wrap it up in paper, pop it in a picnic basket and make straight for your nearest National Trust property’s picnic area – or, indeed, somewhere altogether wilder. One for the coming sunlit days of spring: when they hit, we’ll be ready. Get the recipe.
Croque Monsieur Galette
Olive Magazine
Easy, cheesy lemon squeezy, this outrageously indulgent pie features golden puff pastry, under which layer explorative forks will discover a decadent medley of molten nutty Gruyere, along with the ham requisite of this fresh take on the classic Croque Monsieur. We could share. We probably should share. But we might just… not. Get the recipe.
Chicken, Kale And Mushroom Pot Pie
BBC Good Food
Pie tends to be a byword for indulgence which, of course, it is thanks to the golden, crumbly pastry that tends to make it so very delicious. But a pie can also pack in the goodness too, as this wholesome example demonstrates beautifully, with its chestnut mushrooms, kale, garlic, thyme and onion. Exactly the sort of supper we yearn for through these last days of winter, and easy to make too. Light a candle, pour a glass of red and feel yourself delivered into wintery bliss. Get the recipe.
Smoked Fish Pie With Butterbean Mash
Delicious Magazine
Every cook worth their salt should have a reliable fish pie recipe in their repertoire. There is the classic, of course, which involves a mashed potato top. Then there are the subversives who opt for pastry instead. And finally there is a third category who like to really mix things up. This recipes falls into that last category and we love it, especially if you’re trying to reduce your intake of simple carbs. Nutritious, filling, exceptionally good. Get the recipe.
Peaches And Cream Pie
Jamie Oliver
No list of great pies can be concluded without a sweet one to round proceedings off – and we can think of no more delicious concoction than Jamie’s peaches and cream pie, from its delightful name to the crumbly, sweet, wholesome taste as you tuck greedily in. And, since it is made with tinned peaches, it can be rustled up no matter the season for all-year-round comfort and joy. Get the recipe.
By Nancy Alsop
February 2024
