Best Picnic Pie Recipes

OLD ENGLISH POSH PICNIC RAISED CHICKEN AND HAM PIE

Steps:

• HOT WATER CRUST PASTRY.
• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, making a well in the centre.
• Place the water, butter and lard into a saucepan, when the butter and lard has melted bring it all to the boil. Take off the heat.
• Pour the mixture into the centre of the flour. Working very quickly, mix with a wooden spoon. Then knead with hands to produce a smooth and elastic dough. Allow to rest in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes.
• (This pastry must be used whilst still warm, otherwise it will become brittle and hard to mould. I keep mine in a small pan over gently simmering water.).
• Proceed with your recipe, as below.
• PIE FILLING.
• Place all the pie-filling ingredients in to a large mixing bowl, including the herbs, spices and seasonings. Mix thoroughly with your hands - it's messy, but it's the best way to get everything well amalgamated!
• JELLIED STOCK.
• Heat the chicken or vegetable stock. Mix the gelatine with a little cold water until it is spongy and smooth, gradually add the hot stock to the gelatine and mix thoroughly. Set aside until it is needed.
• MAKING THE PIE.
• Grease an 8" round loose-bottom pie/cake tin or a special decorative pie mould - grease it liberally with melted butter or lard.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 3.
• Take two-thirds of the warm pastry, form into a large, flat disc and put in the bottom of the tin or pie mould. Gently press and mould until the pastry covers the base and sides of the tin, keeping it as even as possible.
• Fill the pastry pie case with the pie filling mixture - packing it down well.
• Moisten the top edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut a circle or oblong to fit the top of the tin. Place over the filling and seal the edges, without pressing the pastry down too heavily. Trim the edges. Make a hole in the top centre of the pie and use any pastry trimmings to make pastry leaves and decorative trimmings. Press these onto the top of the pie and glaze the whole thing with beaten egg.
• Now lay a sheet of foil over the top and bake for 2 hours, then remove from the oven. Leave the pie for 30-45 minutes to firm up, then turn up the oven temperature to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Carefully remove the pie from the tin and brush the pastry all over with the remaining beaten egg. If the sides show any sign of bulging, encircle the pie with a band of silicone paper (parchment) and tie with string.
• Return the pie to the oven and as the pastry continues baking it will firm up (if you used the paper, you will gradually be able to peel it away, but add a little more egg to the unglazed parts) and all the pastry will brown - it will take approximately 30 minutes. As the top will brown before the sides, it will need to be protected with foil while the sides finish browning.
• When the pie is a glowing golden colour, remove from the oven, leave to cool, then cover and chill.
• Meanwhile have the jellied stock warmed slightly (by sitting it in a bowl of hot water), then cool it to the syrupy stage and pour it into the pie very gradually through a funnel, in to the centre steam hole (as much as it will take). Chill again to give the jelly a chance to set and then - believe it or not - it's ready to serve!
• Serve with assorted fresh salads, pickles, mustard, chutney and relishes. Will pie keep for up to 5 days in a cool place or the fridge.
• This freezes very well, defrost overnight, sitting the pie on a wire rack to avoid the pastry becoming soggy.
• Wrap the pie for a picnic in greaseproof paper and cut the pie into slices when you arrive at your destination.

CHICKEN, HAM & ASPARAGUS PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• Trim the woody ends off the asparagus (see pic 1 in step by step above) ), bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook them for 2 mins, then lift into a bowl of iced water. Slice the tips off the asparagus and set aside. Cut each chicken breast into long two-finger-thick strips (pic 2), then wrap the prosciutto slices around some of the asparagus spears and chicken strips (pic 3) and set aside. Using your hands, scrunch the sausagemeat with the pistachios in a bowl, season with the cayenne and lots of black pepper, then set aside.
• Cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the bottom and sides of a lightly buttered 2-litre terrine dish or loaf tin, leaving an overhang (pic 4). To make the pastry, tip the flour into a bowl with 2 tsp salt and the mustard powder, then grate in a small pinch of nutmeg. Put the lard, butter and milk in a pan with 250ml water and heat until the fats have completely melted. Pour into the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Tip onto your work surface and knead briefly until it all comes together.
• Take 2/3 of the dough and wrap the rest so it doesn't dry out. Roll it out into a rectangle to line the dish with an overhang. Lay the dough into the dish and, using your fingers, press it into the bottom, corners and up the sides (pic 5).
• Take 1/4 of the sausage mixture and pat it into a shape that will fit the dish, then lay it in. Now build up the pie with alternate layers of the asparagus, chicken strips and sausagemeat (pic 6), pressing down the mixture with your hands as you go, finishing with a bulging top layer of sausagemeat.
• Brush the overhanging pastry with the beaten egg, then roll out the remainder and drape it over the top of the pie filling (pic 7). Press the edges together gently, then use a small knife to trim the pastry (pic 8). Crimp the edges by pinching your fingers (pic 9) and use pastry trimmings to decorate the top, if you like. Brush with egg and pierce three holes along the top.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet in it. Place the pie on the hot sheet and bake for 1 hr 45 mins. Lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 if the pie is browning too much. When the pie has 20 mins left, brush the top with more egg and season with flaky sea salt. (Don't worry if some juice leaks out of the side.) It's ready when the pastry is dark golden brown or when a digital cooking thermometer inserted through one of the holes reads 70C or more. Leave to cool, then chill. Can be made up to three days ahead. To serve, carefully remove from the tin, place on a board and slice. Make a salad with the asparagus tips, shallot rings, salad leaves and French dressing, if you like.

CHICKEN & STUFFING PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• Season the chicken breasts. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the chicken very quickly on each side - you might need to fry these in batches. Don't worry about cooking the chicken all the way through. Set aside.
• Set aside 2 tbsp of the stuffing mixture. Make up the rest using half the amount of water that the packet says.
• Make the pastry by tipping the flour into a food processor with 1 tsp salt. Add the butter and suet, and whizz to fine crumbs (or rub in with your fingers if you don't have a food processor). With the motor running (or stir with a fork), dribble in 150ml cold water until the pastry just comes together. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a dough. Cover one-third while you roll out the rest to line an oiled, 20cm round springform or loose-bottomed tin.
• Spoon the stuffing into the base of the pie, packing down well and smoothing the top. Arrange the chicken pieces over, cutting to fit like a jigsaw puzzle to fill in any gaps. Squeeze sausagemeat from skins and press evenly over the top, then scatter over the reserved dry stuffing. Roll out the reserved pastry until big enough to cover the pie with an overlap. Brush the edge of the pie with egg, then lift on the pastry lid and press edges to seal before trimming and rolling down excess to thoroughly seal.
• Decorate by crimping the edges or pressing them with the prongs of a fork, then cut a little hole in the middle of the pastry to let steam escape. Brush all over with more egg (don't throw the leftover egg away).
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 50 mins. Brush all over again with egg and cook for another 10 mins. Cool in the tin, then thickly slice for a picnic or lunch. Or wrap well in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months.

PLOUGHMAN'S PORK & CHEESE PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, tip the flour into a bowl with ½ tsp salt. Pour 200ml water into a saucepan and bring up to the boil, then take off the heat, add the lard and leave to melt. Pour the mixture into the flour, beat with a wooden spoon and work into a dough. Cut a third of the pastry off for the top and wrap in cling film then, while still warm, roll out the other two-thirds of the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line with the pastry, leaving a good amount of excess hanging over the side.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a sturdy baking tray in it. Make the filling by mixing all the ingredients, except the cheese, together in a bowl and season generously with cracked pepper and a little salt. Pack half the filling well into the lined tin, cover with a layer of cheese slices, then pack over the rest of the filling. Roll the remaining pastry out and lay on top of the filled pie tin, trim the edges leaving a little overhang, and save the trimmings. Crimp the pie all the way around the edge, then brush the top with the beaten egg. Score the top of the pie with the back of a knife to decorate then, using a small cutter, press a hole into the middle of the pie to let steam escape.
• Bake for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 50 mins-1 hr until golden brown. Leave until cold. Can be made the day before and kept at room temperature or chilled for two days. Wrap the pie well and take to the picnic in the tin, with a board and a large knife for serving.

RUSTIC MELTED-ONION AND CHEESE PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• Use a glass or other ovenproof pie dish for this dish.
• Peel and slice the onions very thinly. If you have a mandoline, use that to slice the onions.
• Fry the onions in a pot (a pan/skillet might be too shallow). Use only a low-to-medium heat. You can put the lid on the pot. Stir occasionally, and cook the onions for 40 minutes, or until they are very soft and "melting". (Decide how much olive oil you need) Sweet onions are nicest, but red onions are also great, and will just cause more eye-watering!
• Add the balsamic vinegar and the sugar, and stir well. Cook a little longer.
• Please do not leave out the anchovy fillets if you dislike them. Anchovies have the unique ability to disappear into a dish and only add a subtle completely non-fishy flavour -- honestly! Chop or break up those anchovies finely, (no need to rinse them), and stir. They will dissolve and disappear into the onion mixture.
• Sprinkle over the nutmeg, add the thyme or rosemary (or both), and the parsley, and stir into the onions. If liquid has formed at the bottom, turn heat higher, stir, and cook off the excess liquid.
• Pull off the heat and leave.
• While the onions are cooking, beat the eggs and roll out the pastry.
• Roll the pastry (cold!) thinner. Use flour or cornflour on your counter or wherever you roll out the pastry, and if necessary flour your rolling pin. In South Africa shop-bought puff pastry comes in 400 g rolls, so all of it has to be defrosted: keep the cuttings for another purpose or chuck away.
• Heat oven to 400 deg F or 200 deg Celsius.
• Line the tart plate with the pastry, and crimp the edges neatly.
• Paint the pastry with some of the beaten egg, concentrating on the edges. If this job is finished long before the onions are ready, put the prepared plate in the fridge to keep cool.
• When the onions are ready, scrape them into another bowl and stir to cool them.
• If using Brie or Camembert, cut it up into bite-sized chunks and spread on the bottom of the pastry.
• Add the rest of the beaten eggs to the onion mixture, then spread it over the cheese. Sprinkle with the pepper and the breadcrumbs.
• If using feta cheese, put the onion-egg mixture in first, then crumble the feta over the top, and top with pepper and breadcrumbs.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F/180°C after the first 15 minutes.
• *Don't add extra salt unless the final mixture tastes too bland. The anchovies and feta are both salty. Do remember that Brie or Camembert is preferable if you can serve this pie soon after it is ready, because if these cheeses cool down completely, they can become rubbery.

VEGGIE RAINBOW PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp oil and some seasoning and roast for 20 mins until soft. Meanwhile, fry the onion in the remaining oil for 10-15 mins over a low heat until golden and boil the potatoes for 8 mins until soft. Drain the potatoes and leave the veg to cool.
• Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin with a long double thickness strip of parchment (this will help you to lift out the pie once cooked). Squeeze the two blocks of pastry together, then roll out on a floured surface - the pastry should be about the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the pastry to line the tin, leaving any excess pastry hanging over the edges.
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the base of the pastry. Layer in the beetroot slices, peppers, squash, onions, feta, potatoes, peas and herbs (in that order for a nice rainbow effect), seasoning well between each layer. Beat the eggs and pour slowly over the filling until most of it has sunk through the layers, saving a little to glaze the top. Brush some egg over the overhanging pastry then lay the rolled pastry sheet on top. Press the pastry sheets together, then use some kitchen scissors to trim the excess pastry, leaving about 2cm. Roll the edges in to seal, then press them firmly with a fork. Brush with egg, sprinkle with seeds, then use the fork prongs to mark out 12 portions. Bake for 1 hr 20 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to cool completely before slicing, or chill for up to two days before serving.

PICNIC PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. , In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Add pecans and mix well; pour into crust. Cover edge loosely with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.

PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter 2 x 20cm springform tins or deep, loose-based tart tins. Cut one-third of the pastry off each block. Roll out the smaller pieces of pastry, then cut a circle from each to make the top of the pie - use a tin base as a template. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry from each block and line the tins, leaving a good amount of excess hanging over the edge.
• Mix the sausagemeat with the apples, onions and thyme, and divide into 4 portions. Line each pie with 4 slices of ham and spread 1 tbsp mustard over the ham in each pie. Add a quarter of the sausagemeat to each pie and press down to level it. Add another layer of ham and mustard to each, then the rest of the sausagemeat and level off the tops.
• Put the pastry lids on top and brush with beaten egg. Fold the excess pastry over and press gently. Trim off any wodgy bits to make the lid look as attractive as possible. Brush again with beaten egg and cut a steam hole in the centre. Bake for 50 mins or until a skewer pushed in through the steam hole comes out very hot. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then release the sides of the tin and cool completely on a rack (still on the bases). Serve cold, cut into wedges with pickles and salad. Or slide off the base and wrap tightly in foil, then cling film and freeze.

PICNIC PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 6. Make the pastry by rubbing the fat into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix with enough water to make a stiff dough.
• Roll out two thirds of the the pastry and cover an eight inch deep pie dish.
• Prick the bottom and sides to allow steam to escape. Cover the bottom with graseproof paper and add dry rice or baking beans until the bottom is covered to a depth of an inch. Bake blind for about 15 mins. When firm remove the greaseproof paper and discard.
• Put sausagemeat in the bottom of the pastry case and smooth down. Scatter the chopped bacon on top making sure that the sausagemeat is entirely covered. Break the eggs over the top until almost to the top of the pastry case.
• Roll out second piece of pastry and cover the pie. Make sure that it is well sealed around the edges, Make 4 or 5 small slits in the centre of the top to let the steam escape. Brush with beaten egg
• Cook in the oven for 15 mins. Turn the oven down to gas 4 and cook for a further 45 mins. Serve hot or cold