IN SEASON Keeping It Traditional... M


aster of meat, Jon Thorner, likes nothing more than a traditional pie, whether it’s a quick pasty for lunch, or a slow- cooked delicious steak and ale pie for


dinner – good, short pastry, but more importantly, a comforting, decadent and meaty fi lling. We spoke to Jon about the key to creating the perfect meat- based pie...


At Jon Thorner’s we are very particular about our pies. We believe a proper pie has a delicious fi lling and is completely encased in shortcrust pastry. We want good-sized pieces of meat, and a good ratio of vegetables and gravy. A generous thick sauce is also essential, so it doesn’t all leave the pie as soon as you cut into it. And the pastry – golden in colour, short and crumbly, and cooked all the way round.


The perfect pie fl avour combination is always down to the individual. My favourite fl avours, and most popular amongst our customers, are generally very traditional like our Steak & Ale, Steak & Kidney and Chicken & Ham. These fl avours are tried and tested, and you know will taste delicious, it is a little bit harder to get people to experiment with alternative fl avour combos because no one wants to waste a good pie opportunity.


QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS IS KEY TO COOKING UP THE PERFECT PIE


All our beef pies are made with certifi ed West Country beef. I advise using prime braising or stewing steak, and choose a lean cut to eliminate any possibility of having gristle in the pie. We use chicken breast fi llet in our chicken pies, again for a tender, succulent bite. There is nothing wrong with using thigh meat though, if you want to use a cheaper cut. For something a little diff erent, but guaranteed fl avour, why not try game meat, such as pheasant, pigeon, duck and venison.


Keep the pieces of meat chunky,


with pieces of veg a similar size, and get your gravy nice and thick.


It is important not to over work your pastry, to try and keep the texture ‘short’ and not tough. We favour margarine or lard, as it doesn’t soften as quickly as butter does.


OUR TOP TIPS FOR COOKING


Cook your fi lling fi rst, like a casserole or stew. The important part is to let the fi lling cool down completely before fi lling your pastry case – this will avoid the fi lling spilling out of the pastry during the baking.


COMING UP WITH YOUR OWN FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS


Focus on just a few key fl avours which you know will work well together – such as beef and horseradish, lamb and rosemary, chicken and thyme, chicken and chorizo. Find a fl avour which will work within the sauce itself – herbs and spices work very well here, and especially cheese, such as Stilton or Cheddar because they melt into the sauce for a wonderful depth of fl avour. You can add fl avour and personalise your pie by using your favourite tipple as well, something robust such as a stout, a decent red wine or, as we are in Somerset, a good strong cider. A pie fi lling is a great casserole or stew, encased in pastry. So if you have a favourite recipe which you normally dish up on a chilly day, just thicken the sauce slightly, fi ll your pastry case and bake to perfection.


16 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER Try using game meat as an alternative pie Game changer...


CHICKEN & TARRAGON POT PIES WITH TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI, SHALLOT AND SWEETCORN


Individual puff pastry pies that can be made ahead, chilled and baked when needed Makes 4


50g unsalted butter 6 shallots, thinly sliced 5 tbsp plain fl our


850ml milk (or mix of milk with a little cream for extra indulgence)


3 chicken breasts (approx. 450g)


240g Tenderstem broccoli


325g tin of sweetcorn, drained


Small bunch of tarragon, leaves chopped


Salt and freshly ground black pepper


1 sheet of readymade puff pastry


1 Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and add the shallots. Sweat over a medium–low heat for 10 mins until they are starting


fi lling – rich in fl avour, game makes for a deep, fl avoursome stuffi ng.


to soften. Stir through the fl our, mixing it well into the buttery juices and cook for 1 min.


2 Over a low heat, slowly pour in the milk, stirring all the time to prevent lumps forming. Once all the milk is combined, increase the heat a little and bring up to the boil, cooking for a few of mins until the sauce is thick and glossy.


3 Add the chicken and simmer for around 4–5 mins until cooked through. To check it is cooked, fi sh out one of the biggest pieces in the pan and cut into it to see if there is any pink in the middle. Remove the sauce from the heat.


4 Blanch the Tenderstem in boiling water, then drain well and stir through the sauce. Add the sweetcorn


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