How To Prepare The Perfect Winter Pie

What’s for dinner tonight? Buttery, crumbly pastry and rich, creamy fillings… nothing will quite satisfy your craving like a good winter pie. There are dozens of delicious pie recipes out there but if you’re one for going off book, we’re here to help you with everything you need to construct the perfect pie all on your own.

Step 1: Pick Your Pastry:

When deciding on the pie you’re going to make, choosing your pastry is a good place to start. Puff pastry is a classic choice. It is buttery, rich and especially delicious when paired with traditional recipes like a chicken pot pie or a tasty pepper beef pie. You can even use puff pastry to make a cheesy braai pie– for a fun, South African twist. If a lighter pastry is more your thing, you can opt for phyllo pastry instead.

Phyllo is delicate, crispy and perfectly complements strong, spicy flavours – try using it to make our Cape Malay Mince and Phyllo Pie. If neither of these pique your interest, you could always opt for a mashed potato topping instead, as you would in yummy cottage pies.

Step 2: Find Your Filling:

The filling you choose will have the biggest impact on the taste of your pie. You can opt for the scrumptious, conventional flavours like chicken and steak and kidney, or you could try something a little more creative with this prawn and haddock fish pie recipe. Or take your favourite combination of veggies and use them instead of meat in your fillings to make a vegetarian-friendly versions of classic recipes – mushroom and spinach is a great combo to start with.

There’s no limit to what you can put in a pie… do you like spaghetti? Throw it in! Just make sure you create the right consistency in your filling – fillings that are too runny could make your pastry soggy, and fillings that are too thick can make your pie taste quite stodgy.

Step 3: Finesse with Some Final Touches:

There are a few ways you can make your pie that much more special. For a more sophisticated dinner party, serve your pies in individual ramekins instead of a family-style dish. You can also use the off-cuts of your pastry to decorate your pie with accents such as leaves, flowers or anything your heart desires. You could even use the prongs of a fork to press a subtle but sweet indentation design around the edge of your dish.

Voila! Now you know exactly what’s for dinner and you have the tools you need to get creative with your pie recipes. Bring fantastic flavours, comforting goodness and a whole lot of love to the table this winter with a warm and tasty pie.