Pastry is one of our favourite things to indulge in - the golden crust of a pie, the flaky pastry of the immortal Cornish pasty, or the soft encasing of a suet pudding: all provide comforting, homely dishes that we know and love. However, often it feels out of reach for everyday cooks, surrounded by rumours of impossibility, stories of failure and unachievable recipes. In River Cottage
Great Pies Gelf Alderson will dispel all fear, giving every home cook the tools they need to achieve pastry greatness with achievable, delicious recipes for every pastry-laden occasion, from the buffet to the centrepiece of any meal.
Starting with a chapter dedicated to the core recipes for the most-used pastry - including
shortcrust,
puff and
rough puff,
hot water,
filo,
suet,
choux and
sweet pastry - these become the basis for the pastry masterpieces in the book. (And if you don't have time to make pastry from scratch, don't despair - the recipes in the book are doable with shop-brought for when time and inclination are against you.)
In chapters such as veggie pies, open pies and tarts, saucy pies, raised pies, pasties and sweet stuff, you'll find recipes for kitchen classics (from the
ultimate quiche to a
beef and ale pie, and from the
classic River Cottage pork pie to
custard tarts), as well as unexpected sweet and savoury treats (think
spanakopita,
chicken balti pie or
plum, raspberry and hazelnut meringue pie), rounded out with a chapter of
sauces, gravies and custards - everything you'll need to accompany your pies, pastries and pasties.
With an introduction from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, this book provides 80 comforting recipes of grounded pastry cooking, achievable for everyone and on your table in no time.
With an introduction from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
The golden crust of a warming pie...
The flaky first bite into a Cornish pasty...
The soft, moreish encasing of a suet pudding...
Pastry is the key to the comforting, homely dishes that we all know and love.
In River Cottage Great Pies, Gelf Alderson gives every home cook the tools to reach the heights of pastry greatness with 80 achievable, delicious recipes for every occasion.
With a foundational chapter to build your confidence in the kitchen with core recipes for the most popular pastries - including shortcrust, puff and rough puff, hot water, filo, suet, choux and sweet pastries - these become the basis for your pastry-laden masterpieces. And if you don't have time to make pastry from scratch, don't despair - all the recipes are just as achievable and delicious with shop-bought varieties too.
The chapters that follow give you every kind of pie you could ever hope for, including Veggie Pies, Open Pies and Tarts, Saucy Pies, Raised Pies, Pasties and Sweet Stuff. Here, you'll find recipes for crowd-pleasing classics, from the ultimate quiche and a traditional beef and ale pie, to the much-loved River Cottage pork pie, and even custard tarts.
Whether you need small bites for a buffet or a show-stopping centrepiece for your meal, Great Pies has you covered with reliable recipes for sweet and savoury treats of all kinds, including spanakopita, chicken balti pie and plum, raspberry and hazelnut meringue pie, all rounded out with a chapter on the perfect pie accompaniments - sauces, gravies and custards - so you have everything you need to enjoy mouthwateringly excellent pies time and time again.
