Tatty Pies

Hi All,
This morning OH and I finished the order for Denver Windmill. My wife really is a superstar as she does the most wonderful pie lids and doesn't complain at the early starts and low/no pay.


After we finished the order I thought it was high time I tackled those veggie pies I keep promising people.


These pies came about after several requests from vegetarians visiting my stall at Watton Farmers Market, after they had spotted my pork pies but were unable to sample them.


I tried to come up with something that would taste great when cold, and provide the same gastronomic effect as one of my pork pies.


I decided on the filling purely on a whimsical notion that potatoes are filling, and if partially cooked in a delicious sauce should provide a good meal once baked in a decent pastry.


After preparing a dish of Dauphinoise potatoes to my own recipe, I developed a vegetarian pastry using the same recipe as my pork pie pastry just minus the lard!


A quick blind bake of the cases and then it was in with portions of potato cut out of the dish using a pastry ring.


I tried out three variations, one with no topping, one with a handful of Gruyere and one topped with creamed potatoes made with double cream flavoured with shallots, garlic and nutmeg.

After a stint in the oven the test pies came out for a while but I decided that they needed more colour. Five minutes later and looking golden and delicious I took the pies out.


Sampled warm I settled on the cheese topped offering, mainly because I love Gruyere.


I think a chilled taste test will reveal the true winner and I will edit this post to show the results.


See you later




Later that same day;


The taste test was a complete and utter.....success!
Further market research is needed, as a focus group of two is a little limited even by my standards.
The winners are the Gruyere topped pie and in a close second came the Potato topped pie.
I need some willing veggies to have a crack at these pies, so please take a collective step forward if you would like to help with taste testing. ;-)


Tomorrow brings a new (used) chest freezer for bulk meat storage and another load of pies ready for Watton Farmers Market this Saturday from 08:30 - 12:30.
Pop down and see me before the pies are all gone.


See you all soon.




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