This pie has a flaky pastry and I used minced meat and a few vegetables in the filling. Of course, my daughter will say, "why did you have to add peas?" as she dislikes peas. However, I do and I am cooking, so I add what I like. You can add or leave out whatever you like or dislike when you are making this pie too (especially if you also dislike peas).
Pie Pastry:
340g / 12 oz plain flour
3 oz / 85g butter, cold and firm
3 oz / 85g lard or Crisco vegetable shortening
1 egg, beaten in a bowl
2 fluid oz / 60ml cold water
1 teaspoon salt
In a mixing bowl, add the plain flour and salt. Stir to mix.
Cut up the butter into smaller cubes. Now put it in the mixing bowl and do the rubbing in method or use a pastry-cutter to chop it in. Do this until you get a crumbly mixture. Now add the egg and water. Use a spoon and mix it all up. Knead just a few times ever so gently to see that all the flour is mixed into the dough. Cover and chill for 15 minutes
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C or 400 degress F.
Divide the dough into half. Put a little more into one half that is going to be for the bottom of the pie dough. Keep the other portion for the top covered in the fridge. (This pie dough is buttery and we want to keep the butter from melting. It will not be easy to handle then). Roll the bottom portion of the dough out to a circle a bit larger than the pie dish and just 3 to 4 mm in thickness. Grease the pie dish. Lift the dough into the dish and adjust the dough to sit well and even up the sides. Poke the dough with the tines of the fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Prepare the filling: (It is good to have the pie filling ingredients all prepared and ready to cook. If not, you can choose to make the filling first )
2 cups onions, minced
3 garlic, crushed and chopped finely
600g of minced beef
1/2 cup of carrots, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup of cauliflower florets, cut a bit small
1/2 cup of green peas
1 knorr beef stock cube
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black ground pepper
Cornflour slurry : 1 tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons of cornflour
Heat a little butter and vegetable oil in a skillet. Saute the onions first for a minute and then add the garlic. Stir fry for a bit. Add the minced meat and break it up in the skillet. Season with the salt and pepper. Toss it about. Add the mixed vegetables, Knorr stock cube and half a cup of water. Give it a good stir to mix everything together. Simmer the vegetables and minced meat.
Add the cornflour slurry and give it all a good stir. It should thicken up a bit. Take off heat.
When the bottom layer has finished baking, take the pie out and leave it for a bit to rest. Don't put the filling in until you have rolled out your top layer.
Take the pastry dough out of the fridge. Dust a work surface with flour. Roll out your top cover for the pie, 3 to 4 mm thickness. Get a ruler to measure the diameter of the circle of your pie dish, if you are unsure. Make sure your oven is preheated to 200C or 400F.
Now spoon your pie filling into the pie dish.Top it with the Pastry dough. Beat an egg and give the top a good egg wash. Cut a few slits in the top pastry so steam can escape.
Bake your pie for 35 to 40 minutes.
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