Bastes, gravies and syrupy sauce goodness

"You just cannot pass up a slice of pie, or an entire pie for that matter."

Pies pie pies! You just cannot pass up a slice of pie, or an entire pie for that matter. Whether that be vegetarian, sweet or meat, you cannot forget the sauces, gravies or bastes that help to make any pie a flavoursome delight.

Here are some ideas from Westgold to give you inspiration when you are next making a pie for dinner or for taking on a picnic. They may give you some ideas as a base for your next masterpiece.

Sauce for tasty meat pies

Fry a finely sliced medium onion, celery and garlic in butter and cook on a medium heat until the onion is starting to brown and put aside. Then brown the meat of your choice (approx. 500 grams) and add the vegetables back to the pan with whatever fresh herbs take your fancy, 1 ½ cups stock, a generous tablespoon of tomato paste, a splash of Worcester sauce and sliced mushrooms.  Cook your meat in this sauce until cooked. You can thicken the sauce with cornflour so that it’s a perfect thickness to go in your pie. This should make six individual pies.

Creamy Indian gravy for vegetarian or meat pies

Marinade 750g of vegetables or meat in a mixture of Indian spices such as  2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon ground coriander, together with 3 cloves crushed garlic, a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, grated, oil and a couple of pinches of chilli powder. Later mix in butter, a sliced medium onion, a 400 gram can of tomato puree, and ½ cup of cream. Use up to ½ cup of stock to adjust the sauce so it remains thick enough to put in pastry.

Check out this delicious Chicken Pot Pie 

Ingredients:

• 1 leek
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 25 grams Westgold butter
• 1 packet puff pastry
• 3 diced chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon Tuscan spices
• 1 sachet mushroom soup mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg

Method:

1. Heat oven to 200°C (fan bake) or 220°C (standard bake).
2. Fry the leeks and mushrooms in butter until soft and leeks have separated, then place in a large bowl.
3. Fry the chicken in the same pan, coating with your Tuscan seasoning as you fry.
4. Make up the soup mix with 1 cup boiling water, then add to the chicken once it's cooked, along with sour cream and simmer until sauce is thick.
5. Spread mixture across four 2-cup-capacity ramekins, then egg wash the tops of the ramekins.
6. Cut rounds of pastry, and 'top' the ramekins with the pastry, being careful to press down the edges with a fork so the top sticks. Pierce the top 3 or 4 times with the fork so steam can escape, then egg wash again.
7. Cook for about 20 mins, until tops are golden and crispy.

White sauce

All vegetables taste delicious in a simple white sauce. Make a roux with butter and flour, and slowly whisk in milk to make a smooth creamy thick sauce. Just add some fresh or dried herbs like oregano together with plenty of black pepper.  Mix the white sauce, along with some cooked halloumi into the vegetables and cool before filling your pastry and baking. This is also delicious with seafood – a chowder pie!

Fruity nutty syrupy filling

Use up fruit from your garden or freezer by encasing it in stunning shortcrust pastry. Cook 8 pieces of fruit in a mixture of lemon juice (from 2 lemons), ¼ cup caster sugar, 2 tablespoons liqueur (orange or hazelnut are lovely options), 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 cup water. Make sure you cool before putting it in your pre-baked pie crust. Keep an eye on how much liquid you put in.

Zesty custard

How about poached fruit and custard in a pie? Make a simple egg yolk custard – ensuring to keep it nice and thick with a little added corn-starch or flour so it will hold its shape in the pie. Try adding a little citrus zest and limoncello, or nutmeg. Fill a pre-baked pie crust, and to with poached pears.