Beef and Vegetable Mince Pies
Makes 12 round (10cm in diameter) pies or 20 x 7cm mini piesWe have given you 2 options.
- Top and bottom pastry pies. These use more pastry and have less filling but are easy to eat out of hand.
- Mini pot pies baked in disposable containers. They don't use a lot of pastry and have a generous amount of filling. Needs a spoon for eating.
Both options will freeze really well.
2 T (30ml) olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
½ t (2,5ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
500g lean beef mince
4 T (60ml) Ina Paarman's Tomato Pesto
1 t (5ml) Ina Paarman's Meat Spice
1 T (15ml) Ina Paarman's Roast Onion Soup and Gravy Powder
½ cup (125ml) water
1 cup (250ml) frozen peas
1 cup (250ml) coarsely grated carrot
¼ cup (60ml) chopped parsley
PASTRY
2 x 500g good quality puff pastry or use our Sour Cream Pastry **
1 egg
Warm a heavy based fry pan. Add oil, swivel the pan and add chopped onion and Green Onion Seasoning. Stir-fry the onion until it starts to brown and soften. Add the mince, using a fork to break up the lumps and stir-fry the meat until crumbly and cooked through. Add Tomato Pesto and Meat Spice. Sprinkle Roast Onion Soup Powder over. Cook over high heat while stirring for one minute. Add water and bring mixture to the boil. Add peas (no need to defrost), grated carrot and parsley. Simmer for two minutes. Leave to cool and refrigerate.
Round Pies with Pastry top and bottom.
Top and Bottom Pastry Pies
Roll the pastry out thinly ± 2mm.
Cut with a 10cm round cutter.
Spoon 1 level tablespoon of well chilled mince in the middle of half of the rounds.
Brush the edges with water and cover with remaining rounds.
Seal edges with the prongs of a fork. Lay down on a floured baking sheet.
Beat the egg with a fork and brush over pies.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
Delicious served with our Apricot Chutney.
Brush Mini Pot Pies with egg.
MINI POT PIES
Fill the pots to the brim with mince mixture. Top with 7cm rounds of pastry. Brush with egg and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.
**
3 cups (350 g) flour
1 t (5 ml) salt
250 g butter
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream or crème fraiche
Sift flour and salt twice and cut in the butter with a small knife, a pastry blender (illustrated) or your fingertips. Be very careful if using a food processor, it is inclined to transform the dough into a paste within seconds. The knobs of butter should remain as big a peas, and never become as small as breadcrumbs, or worse, a paste. Leave the flour/butter mixture to stand at room temperature in a cool spot for 20 minutes.
Add all the sour cream at once to the flour mixture and cut in with a knife. Once well blended, use one hand to knead the dough until it holds together and forms a ball.
Never add extra liquid, just continue kneading lightly, the dough will become manageable and start to adhere.
Flatten to a dish - warp in greaseproof or wax paper.
Leave the dough to rest in the fridge again for half an hour or longer.
Roll out on a floured board and fold into thirds. Turn the dough parcel half a turn so the open side faces towards you.
Roll and fold once more in the same way. Let the dough rest wrapped in paper for another half an hour in the fridge.
Repeat the roll and fold process three times more. The dough is now ready for use, or can be refrigerated wrapped in paper and sealed in a plastic bag. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Sour Cream Pastry
3 cups (350 g) flour1 t (5 ml) salt
250 g butter
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream or crème fraiche
Sift flour and salt twice and cut in the butter with a small knife, a pastry blender (illustrated) or your fingertips. Be very careful if using a food processor, it is inclined to transform the dough into a paste within seconds. The knobs of butter should remain as big a peas, and never become as small as breadcrumbs, or worse, a paste. Leave the flour/butter mixture to stand at room temperature in a cool spot for 20 minutes.
Add all the sour cream at once to the flour mixture and cut in with a knife. Once well blended, use one hand to knead the dough until it holds together and forms a ball.
Never add extra liquid, just continue kneading lightly, the dough will become manageable and start to adhere. Flatten to a dish - warp in greaseproof or wax paper.
Leave the dough to rest in the fridge again for half an hour or longer.
Roll out on a floured board and fold into thirds. Turn the dough parcel half a turn so the open side faces towards you. Roll and fold once more in the same way. Let the dough rest wrapped in paper for another half an hour in the fridge.
Repeat the roll and fold process three times more. The dough is now ready for use, or can be refrigerated wrapped in paper and sealed in a plastic bag. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
