Covered Pies
Cooking Skills: Pastry 1
Chapter 4 · Covered Pies
Skill goal
Make a pie with a cooked filling, a lid that stays crisp and a crust that browns evenly.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A pie is a cooked filling in a dish, topped with pastry. The most important rule is: cook the filling first, and cool it before the lid goes on. A hot filling melts the fat in the pastry before it reaches the oven and steams the underside. The filling should be thick, not runny, because the lid cannot hold back a thin gravy; thicken with flour, and simmer until the sauce coats a spoon. Sauces for fillings are in Cooking Skills: Sauces 1, chapters 2 and 3.
The lid needs two things: a seal (press the pastry to a wet rim) and a vent (a small slit that lets steam out). Without the vent, steam builds and the pie leaks. A pie funnel or an upturned egg cup in the middle holds the lid up. Brush the lid with beaten egg or milk for colour. A pie with only a lid is a pot pie; one with a base and lid is a double-crust pie.
The method
- Cook the filling until thick and taste for seasoning; it will taste blander inside pastry.
- Cool it completely, then spoon into the dish, piling it higher in the centre.
- Wet the rim of the dish with water, lay a strip of pastry on it, wet it again, then lay the lid on top and press to seal.
- Trim, crimp the edge, cut a small slit in the middle and brush with egg or milk.
- Bake at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) for 25 to 35 minutes until deep golden, and rest the pie for 10 minutes before serving.
| Pie | Filling | Pastry | Time (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken and mushroom | Chicken in creamy sauce | Lid only | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Steak and onion | Slow-cooked beef | Lid only | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Cheese and onion | Potato, onion, Cheddar | Lid only | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Chicken and ham | Chicken, ham, leek | Base and lid | 1 hour 30 minutes |
Hot filling, steam and raw meat
Steam from a hot pie: a pie keeps hot steam and boiling filling inside the crust. Rest it for 10 minutes before cutting, cut from the side with the pie held steady, and keep your face back when you break the lid.Raw chicken and meat: keep raw meat on its own board and plate, wash hands, knives and boards in hot soapy water afterwards, and cook meat fillings right through (no pink, juices running clear) before they go under a pastry lid.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
A chicken and mushroom pie
A creamy chicken and mushroom filling under a shortcrust lid. Thicken the sauce well; it will thin as it heats. Cool the filling completely before topping: you can make it a day ahead.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 200 g mushrooms, sliced
- 500 g chicken thighs, cubed
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 300 ml hot low-salt chicken stock
- 3 tbsp double cream
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 batch of plain shortcrust (chapter 1)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Cook the onion in the butter for 5 minutes, add the mushrooms for 5 minutes, then the chicken for 5 minutes until sealed. Stir in the flour for 1 minute, then add the stock gradually and simmer for 15 minutes until thick and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the cream and thyme, season, and cool completely.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Spoon the filling into a pie dish, roll the pastry 4 mm thick, add a strip on the wet rim, lay the lid, press, trim and crimp. Cut a slit and brush with egg.
- Bake on a hot tray for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and the filling bubbles. Rest for 10 minutes.
Raw chicken, steam and allergens
Raw chicken and meat: keep raw meat on its own board and plate, wash hands, knives and boards in hot soapy water afterwards, and cook meat fillings right through (no pink, juices running clear) before they go under a pastry lid.Steam from a hot pie: a pie keeps hot steam and boiling filling inside the crust. Rest it for 10 minutes before cutting, cut from the side with the pie held steady, and keep your face back when you break the lid.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg and cream; stock may contain celery.
Level 2 · Slow
A steak and onion pie (no beer)
Stewing steak needs about two hours of gentle simmering to turn tender. Worcestershire sauce and mustard give the depth beef pies usually get from beer. The filling must be thick; reduce the gravy, if needed, before cooling. Braising beef is covered in Cooking Skills: Beef and Steak 1, chapter 5.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 600 g stewing steak, in 3 cm cubes
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 500 ml hot low-salt beef stock
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 batch of plain shortcrust (chapter 1)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Brown the beef in batches in the oil, then the onions. Stir in the flour and purée, then the stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and bay leaves. Cover and simmer very gently, or cook at 160°C (140°C fan, gas 3), for 2 hours until tender.
- Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes until thick; remove the bay leaves. Cool completely, ideally overnight.
- Fill the dish, add the lid as in the chicken pie, and bake at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.
Hot pot, raw meat and allergens
Hot pot and hot steam: a heavy casserole dish or pan of hot liquid is heavy and scalding. Use oven gloves, lift the lid away from your face so the steam doesn't burn you, keep the handles turned in and never carry a full pot across a busy kitchen.Raw chicken and meat: keep raw meat on its own board and plate, wash hands, knives and boards in hot soapy water afterwards, and cook meat fillings right through (no pink, juices running clear) before they go under a pastry lid.
Allergens: contains gluten, mustard and fish (Worcestershire sauce); stock may contain celery.
Level 2 · Vegetarian
A cheese and onion pie
A traditional northern pie: potato, onion and mature Cheddar in a thick white sauce. The potatoes should be cooked but still firm so they do not break up. Cool before topping.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 400 g waxy potatoes, cut in 1.5 cm cubes
- 2 onions, chopped
- 30 g butter
- 30 g plain flour
- 300 ml whole milk
- 150 g mature Cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 1 batch of plain shortcrust (chapter 1)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Boil the potatoes for 7 minutes until just tender, then drain. Cook the onions in half the butter for 8 minutes.
- Make a thick white sauce with the remaining butter, flour and milk; take it off the heat and stir in the cheese and mustard. Mix with the potatoes and onions, season, and cool completely.
- Fill, top with the lid, vent and brush with egg. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) for 30 minutes until golden.
Hot sauce, steam and allergens
Steam from a hot pie: a pie keeps hot steam and boiling filling inside the crust. Rest it for 10 minutes before cutting, cut from the side with the pie held steady, and keep your face back when you break the lid.Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg and mustard.
Level 3 · Double crust
A double-crust chicken and ham pie
A pie with a pastry base and lid, baked in a tin. The base can go soggy, so use a preheated tray, a thick filling, and a cooled filling. Make 1½ batches of shortcrust so there is enough for both.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 1.5 batches of plain shortcrust (chapter 1)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 400 g cooked chicken, in chunks
- 150 g cooked ham, in chunks
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 300 ml hot low-salt chicken stock
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 1 egg, beaten
- Soften the leeks in the butter for 8 minutes. Stir in the flour, then the stock gradually, and simmer for 5 minutes until thick. Add the chicken, ham, cream and mustard, season and cool completely.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) with a tray inside. Line a 23 cm pie tin with two thirds of the pastry, chill 15 minutes, add the filling, wet the rim and top with the lid.
- Crimp, vent, brush with egg and bake on the hot tray for 35 to 40 minutes until deep golden. Rest for 15 minutes.
Hot oven, steam and allergens
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.Steam from a hot pie: a pie keeps hot steam and boiling filling inside the crust. Rest it for 10 minutes before cutting, cut from the side with the pie held steady, and keep your face back when you break the lid.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg and mustard; ham may contain nitrites and sulphites.
Experiments
Experiment
Filling hot or cold
Pastry under the lid.
- Top one pie with hot filling and another with cold filling, then bake both.
Look for: The hot-filled pie has a steamed, pale underside; the cold-filled one has a drier, flakier lid. Always cool the filling.
Experiment
Vented or not
Steam.
- Bake one small pie with a slit and one without.
Look for: The unvented pie leaks at the edge and the lid may bulge or split; the vented one stays tidy.
Experiment
Egg or milk wash
Colour.
- Brush one pie lid with beaten egg and another with milk and bake together.
Look for: Egg gives a deep golden shine; milk is paler and softer. Egg and a pinch of salt also give a stronger colour.
Experiment
Pie dish size
Depth.
- Put the same filling in a deep pie dish and a wide, shallow tin.
Look for: The deep dish gives a tall, filling-rich pie but a long cook; the shallow one cooks faster and has more crust per bite.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken and mushroom pie | ||||
| Steak and onion pie | ||||
| Cheese and onion pie | ||||
| Chicken and ham pie | ||||
| Filling hot or cold | ||||
| Vented or not | ||||
| Egg or milk wash | ||||
| Pie dish size |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Soggy lid underside | Hot filling | Cool the filling completely before topping |
| Filling leaks out | No vent, runny filling or poor seal | Thicken the filling; press the lid to a wet rim; cut a vent |
| Lid collapses | No support | Use a pie funnel or pile the filling in the centre |
| Pale top | Oven too cool, or no wash | Use egg wash and bake hotter, on a hot tray |
| Soggy base (double crust) | Wet filling or cold tray | Thicken the filling; bake on a preheated tray |
| Meat tough | Not cooked long enough | Simmer the filling for longer before baking |
Hot pie, steam and leftovers
Steam from a hot pie: a pie keeps hot steam and boiling filling inside the crust. Rest it for 10 minutes before cutting, cut from the side with the pie held steady, and keep your face back when you break the lid.Raw chicken and meat: keep raw meat on its own board and plate, wash hands, knives and boards in hot soapy water afterwards, and cook meat fillings right through (no pink, juices running clear) before they go under a pastry lid.
Keeping and freezing: raw pastry keeps in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped tightly, and freezes for about 3 months (general guidance). Cooked pies and tarts keep for about 2 days chilled; reheat pies until steaming hot all the way through, and freeze cooked pies for no more than about 2 to 3 months.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make a thick filling and cool it.
- I can seal a lid to a wet rim.
- I can vent and glaze a pie.
- I can line a tin for a double-crust pie.
- I can fix a soggy or leaking pie.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Pastry 1, chapter 5 is Sweet Pies and Tarts: pastry with fruit, nuts and syrup.