David Loftus - Sophie Conran’s Pies

Soggy bottoms are something I detest but, it seems, this is a matter of taste: soggy bottoms have their fans too. To avoid the dreaded soggy bottom of a tart or pie, the pastry case needs to be cooked (blind baked) before filling. To do this, line your pie dish or tart tin with pastry and prick the base a few times with a fork. If you have time, let him have a little rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes, as this reduces shrinkage of the pastry shell. Cover with baking (greaseproof) paper or foil and for puff pastries fill with a layer of dried beans, pulses or rice to stop the base from literally puffing up and making it impossible to fill. To crisp the base further, remove the foil and beans and pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes. If the edges look like they may burn just cover with foil. Bake according to recipe.

Soggy bottoms can also effect pie tops. A pie funnel will prevent this by supporting the pastry so it doesn’t sag into the filling and boil rather than bake. In addition, the funnel forms a vent through which the steam that builds up under the crust during cooking can escape (this also helps to stop the filling boiling over the edges). To use a pie funnel place it in the centre of the pie dish before spooning in the filling mixture around it. Cover with pastry in the normal way, making a hole with a knife through the pastry into the top of the funnel.

Funnels are not absolutely essential, however, and you can achieve much the same result simply by ensuring the pie dish is the correct size for the amount of filling, which should be piled full to keep the pastry elevated; then cut a small hole in the middle of the pastry to allow the steam out.

Pie dishes come in all shapes and sizes, from wide shallow dishes to deep pudding basins. Where I’ve not given you a size, you can use any shape you like – all you need to do is use an oven-proof vessel of the right volume. You should allow approximately 350ml (12fl oz) per hungry adult.

Pie dishes often have the volume listed on the bottom, but if yours doesn’t you can measure it using a measuring jug. Do this by pouring water from the jug into the dish and counting up, not the other way round! It’s important to fill your pie dish to the top, so if needs be choose something a little too small rather than too big. If you have leftover filling you can always freeze it and use it for your next pie.

Individual pie, dishes approx. 350ml (12fl oz) each

4 people, dish approx. 1.5 litre (2¾ pints)

6 people, dish approx. 2 litres (3½ pints)

8 people, dish approx. 2.8 litres (5 pints)

SHORTCRUST PASTRY MAKES 300G (10OZ)

100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, straight from the fridge

200g (7oz) plain flour, cold if possible

a pinch of salt

1–2 tbsp chilled water or one small beaten egg

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY MAKES 300G (10OZ)

100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, straight from the fridge

150g (5oz) plain flour, cold if possible

1 tbsp caster sugar

1–2 tbsp chilled water or one small beaten egg

Restrain yourself when it comes to decorating the top of your pie, as over-decorating can make the lid soggy because of the double thickness (keep an eye on your kids here as they love the decorating bit and sometimes get carried away).

If this all sounds a little ominous and off-putting don’t worry! These things are easy to get right with the tiniest amount of practice. Everyone should have their own way of making pastry; these are only my personal preferences. As my mother used to say there’s more than one way to skin a rabbit. Have I enthused you yet? I hope so. It’s easy peasy. Give it a go.

The recipe opposite gives the amount of flour, butter, liquid and salt you’ll need for making 300g (10oz) of pastry. It is best made the day before. First, cut the butter into cubes, and put it into a food processor with the flour and salt. Using the cutting blade, blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the chilled water or egg a little at a time. The amount of liquid you need will always be an approximation, as all flours are slightly different. If it is a very damp day, you will need even less liquid in the mixture. Pulse the mixture until it binds together into a ball. Scoop it out of the food processor and dust it with flour. Form the dough into a thick disc. Cover with clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 1 hour in the fridge. Allow the pastry to come back to room temperature before rolling out on a floured board.

How thinly you roll out your pastry is a matter of preference, and will depend on your choice of pie dish and the type of pastry you’re using. I tend to use a thickness of 3–5mm / ¼ in, so if you’re starting out, I would go with this.

For sweet shortcrust pastry, you’ll need to reduce the amount of flour and, once you’ve mixed the flour and butter to breadcrumbs, add 1 tablespoon of caster sugar. Then pulse until mixed.(See the panel opposite for the amounts required for making 300g [10 oz].)

Vanilla pastry: replace some of the water with ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Rosewater pastrysubstitute a tablespoon of water with a tablespoon of rosewater.

Cinnamon pastryadd a teaspoon of ground cinnamon with the flour.

I should probably try to make filo pastry. Apparently it is an art form that takes generations of experience to perfect, so I stick to the shop-bought stuff as it’s usually excellent.

Puff pastry is the other kind of pastry for which there’s no shame in buying from the shops. Making from scratch requires so much rolling and refrigerating that it can seem far too time-consuming unless you are dedicated.

I love my Aga. I love the way it gently breathes and warms the kitchen. Every pie in this book has been cooked on and in my Aga.

My basic method for cooking a pie involves first preparing the filling and then baking the filling in a pastry case or just covering with pastry. I tend to cook the filling on a simmering plate, using a large cast iron or ceramic casserole dish. If it is cooking too fast I put a coin under the pan. When it comes to baking, I usually pop the pie on the grid shelf on the lowest set of runners, in the roasting oven, then check after about 15 minutes and cover with foil if it looks like the pastry is brown enough. Below is a general guide to converting the temperatures used in this book for your Aga.