Tonight is Burns Supper Night. I of course, did not remember this until this morning and the chances of procuring haggis at this late time (in the US, where finding it even with some advanced planning is a bit of a pain in the neck) so I had to go with making a Steak Pie. Not ideal of course, but better than nothing. Full up on multiple bottles of whisky though.
Now, what’s your favorite Robert Burns poem?
In between everything else that is going on, I am trying to actually eat healthy and was inspired by some pot pie recipes that I had seen lately that weren’t chicken, so this one is a Mushroom Pot Pie, with a whole lot of mushrooms — like 4 pounds worth! I know that mushrooms aren’t exactly the favorite of everyone, but you could also make this as other vegetarian like mixed autumn veg of cauliflower and broccoli. The decoration isn’t mandatory, of course, but I had some pastry left over from the crust. Remember to let it sit for a few minutes because it is blazing hot out of the oven!
I am a big fan of plums — all kinds really, but if I can find Mirabelle plums (the little yellow, or pinkish one, not much larger than a cherry), I am in plum heavy. I found some of them the other day, organic ones no less, so I made this Mirabelle Plum Crumble Tart, with a Pâte Sucrée. What’s a Pâte Sucrée? It’s a pie crust that is more like shortbread, one that you don’t have to roll out, you just “pat” it into the pan. Lovely cake, just tart enough to make your mouth tingle a bit and just sweet enough to make you smile.
As I have mentioned before, I am a big fan of “wild game” whether it be venison, boar, elk, etc. This recipe takes my Vension Ragout, adds a whole lot more mushrooms to make it very thick, and then fill into delicious, buttery puff pastry. totally decadent. Very earthy, savory, comfort food.
Hand pies freeze well! Wrap in foil, then pop each one in a ziplock baggie. To reheat bake in the tin foil for 12-12 minutes, then unwrap and bake an additional 5 minutes without the foil to crisp up. Great for a lunch or dinner with a salad.
