The real deal – Gratin Dauphinoise …

 … a photo guide

thinly sliced potatoes – I used Charlotte's

rinsed thoroughly and dried in a clean

tea towel

prepped and ready for the oven

out of the oven, ready to roll!

Pure decadence – if you want to show off this is the way to do it. Serve with slow cooked beef cheeks and roasted carrots and parsnips – or – a veggie roast! (See The Veggie Roast)

Finally with the humble spud … you've heard of twice cooked chips ...

The real deal – Gratin Dauphinoise

Now for the real deal ...

450g/1lb waxy potatoes – peeled and sliced

no thicker than a two penny piece -

you can use your new holder!

300ml/10fl oz/½ pint of double cream

or for a plant alternative use Elmlea 100%

Plant Double Alternative to crea

unsalted butter for greasing your dish

knobs of unsalted butter to scatter over the

completed gratin – a 30g slice divided into six

or for a plant alternative use Flora Plant unsalted

butter

2 cloves of roasted garlic

celery salt and black pepper to season

Pre-heat the oven 130f/150c/Gas 2.

Rinse the potatoes thoroughly in cold water, shake them dry in a clean tea towel. Grease the baking dish generously with unsalted butter and add the garlic.

Layer the potatoes in your dish, season well, pour over the cream and then add the knobs of butter.

Bake in the oven for 1½ hours. Set your timer for 1 hour 20 minutes – for the remaining 10 minutes turn the oven up to high for a golden crust.

Yum!

The final fotos …

… and the advantages using the cheats version

Bake for 30 minutes until it looks like this :

after the oven – ready to devour

I'm really sorry you don't get the waft

of cheese and cream!

my favourite comfort bowl

It's a great way to make use of baked jacket potatoes – as I'm fond of saying, if my oven is turned on I make the best use of the space and so always bake at least four potatoes, sometimes six at a time. All you have to do is peel and slice – what's not to love.

The Alfredo sauce can be made ahead and fridged until ready to use.

It's fast and it's easy – it may not be authentic but if you've not got the time it takes to prep and cook the real deal then this is for you.

The perfect antidote to winter!

Now for the real deal ...

Notes and hints & tips!

Russian Fish Pie is very similar to Coulibiac – also Russian in origin. The original pie consisted of cod in a stiff parsley sauce placed in the centre of a puff pastry square, “glued” with egg wash and brought together to form four triangles all in one. My preference is to use a mornay sauce and to use a variety of fish.

Russian or not it's really moreish and the portions are generous so think carefully about what you would serve with it – a spot of fusion as an idea – a winter coleslaw I think would go very well – the rich pastry and filling with a crispy, crunchy fresh slaw – you could even kid yourself that it's healthy – ish!

In reality it's about as far from Russia as you'll ever get. The recipe probably came from Coulibiac as mentioned above – a dish consisting of salmon, rice, mushrooms, onions and dill encased in pastry – so a variation on a theme!

Notes :

It's important that the fish and sauce mixture is cooled, nay chilled before you place it on the pastry.

I always make more mornay sauce than required for the fish – it's an indulgence to have extra to pour over the pie.

An optional extra is to add chopped hard boiled eggs.

If you are using cooked, peeled prawns don't add them until you are mixing your sauce with your cooled cooked fish.

A treat or even a supper party dish – just the job for Autumn!

Next up, an every day fish pie ...

Fancy something fishy?

Fish doesn't have to be boring – here's a crowd pleaser – with “comfort” thrown in, hints and tips too to make life easier. A truly scrumptious pie!

Here it is :

Russian Fish Pie

Serves 4

1 x 500g packet of puff pastry

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4

Approximately 500g of mixed fish –

smoked cod loin, salmon, and prawns.

¾ pint/450 ml milk

¼ pint/150 ml cream (you don't have to use

cream, increase to 1pint of milk if preferred)

salt, 8 black pepper corns

bay leaf

50g unsalted butter

50g plain flour

1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard

150g (75g each) Red Leicester and Mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Roll out your pastry into a large square (approximately 24cm x 24cm) and place on a non stick (or greased and lined) baking sheet.

Poach your fish in the milk and cream, season with salt, black peppercorns and bay leaf on a medium heat for 5/10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove the fish, flake, allow to cool and set aside in a large bowl. Strain the liquor.

Melt the butter and add the flour to form the roux and cook for 2/3 minutes then gradually add the poaching liquor and cook the sauce on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens (it should coat the back of your spatula) add grated cheeses and mustard. The sauce should be stiff. Set aside to cool.

Tip half the sauce over the flaked fish, add the prawns and fold gently so that all your fish is coated. Reserve the remaining half of the sauce to pour over the pie.

Using a slotted spoon place the mixture in the centre of the pastry. Egg wash the edges and pinch together to form 4 triangles in a square. Egg wash the completed pie and bake in the oven for 40 minutes – check after 30 minutes. Cut into 4 individual triangles and serve.

Yum!

Notes on the pie coming up ...

Ease into Autumn …

… with a comfort blanket.

It has to mean soup – what could be better than a steaming bowl of your choice!

How about “chicken soup for the soul” – it makes you feel better when you're having a bad day! It's also a perfect way to use scraps of leftover chicken - remove the chicken left on the legs and wings – and anywhere else. Dice, box and fridge - ready for later.

Here's the recipe :

Cream of Chicken Soup

Serves 4

30g unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – preferably roasted

500ml chicken stock

250ml whole milk

celery salt and white pepper

diced chicken stash

garnish of grated nutmeg

50-75ml double (heavy) cream

200g Charlotte potatoes, peel and cut

into small dice

a handful of frozen petit pois

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes – there should be no colour, season with celery salt. Add the stock and diced potatoes and simmer gently for 15 minutes then add the milk and simmer again for 10 minutes Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Blitz 2/3 ladles of the soup until thick and return to the pan. Add the cream, nutmeg, peas, ground white pepper and chicken - heat gently until piping hot.

Don't forget to warm the soup bowls.

Here it is :

chicken soup for the soul – a generous

serving for supper - add good bread for dunking!

Freeze any leftover, ready to use on a cold winter day!

Hmm … your chicken stash

A Hungarian rhapsody

This old favourite is great whatever time of the year.

Here's my latest thought, “zhuzhed” a little. These days goulash seems to be served with rice or, spatzle (a soft egg noodle). I'm an old fashioned kinda gal with certain dishes and goulash is one of them. I like to serve mine, as was done in the 70s, with new potatoes. The ultimate comfort food however you want to serve it – by the way don't forget the sour cream - stirring in or even a blob on top – optional of course.

Hungarian Goulash

Serves 4-6 depending on size of appetite

900g braising steak, diced

glug of rapeseed oil to seal the beef

1 large onion, chopped as finely as possible

*8 tbsp tomato ketchup

*2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

*1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

*2 tsps salt

*2 tsps Hungarian sweet paprika

*½ tsp mustard powder

300ml water

2 beef stock pots

1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water

small tub of sour cream - optional

Use a large frying pan and seal the steak in the rapeseed oil – in small batches – if you overfill the pan you will finish up with grey steak and it will “stew” - not nice! Set the batches aside in the slow cooker. Soften the onion for 2 minutes and then add to the steak.

In a medium sized bowl mix together the ingredients marked *.

Using the same frying pan – and therefore any residual juices, add the water and the stock pots, bring to the boil and stir until the pots have melted. Add the mixed ingredients * and pour over the beef.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

At the end of the cooking time, using a slotted spoon, remove the steak from the gravy. Mix the cornflour with water and stir into goulash and cook on high to thicken.

Add the steak back into the thickened gravy and you're good to go.

Or forget the new potatoes and serve it with either of the bread recipes – in a bowl with bread to dunk.

Perfect!

The Chowder – bits and pieces

First and foremost traditional accompaniments to a chowder are Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, both should be served at the table.

What does seem to be a common thread, whoever the chowder belongs to, is that there is a connection to fishing and making use of what was plentiful from the villages along the French and Cornish coasts to America – a variation if you will of “clam chowder”.

Here's another idea - whilst cooking your Sunday roast, pop a tray of bacon into the oven – 180fan, 200c, Gas 6 - 15 minutes turn and repeat – so that it's crispy. Let the bacon cool on the tray and then break into tiny pieces, box and fridge.

Add a sprinkle of bacon bits on top of the chowder especially for the meat eaters – the bonus here is that you don't have to wreck a veggie soup or dish. The bits can be placed in a bowl and people can help themselves.

It looks like this :

If you'd like another “bacon” idea – fry diced chorizo until crispy then sprinkle with the released oil over the chowder.

Last but by no means least, whilst it isn't authentic I'd serve the chowder with dumplings - there are no rules.

The ultimate comfort blanket!

More soup ...

More crowd pleasers!

Crowd pleasers – with “comfort” thrown in, hints and tips too to make life easier.

Russian Fish Pie – a reminiscence

This recipe takes me back – to my school days – now I've refined it into a treat or even a dinner party dish!

Russian Fish Pie is not your everyday dish, it's a treat. Recent research shows me that it is very similar to Coulibiac – also Russian in origin. The original pie consisted of cod in a stiff parsley sauce placed in the centre of a puff pastry square, glued with egg wash and brought together to form four triangles all in one. My preference is to use a mornay sauce and to use a variety of fish.

Here's my version :

Russian Fish Pie

Serves 4

1 x 500g packet of puff pastry

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4

Approximately 500g of mixed fish –

smoked cod loin, salmon, and prawns.

¾ pint/450 ml milk

¼ pint/150 ml cream (you don't have to use

cream, increase to 1pint of milk if preferred)

salt, 8 black pepper corns

bay leaf

50g unsalted butter

50g plain flour

1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard

150g (75g each) Red Leicester and Mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Roll out your pastry into a large square (approximately 24cm x 24cm) and place on a non stick (or greased and lined) baking sheet.

Poach your fish in the milk and cream, season with salt, black peppercorns and bay leaf on a medium heat for 5/10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove the fish, flake, allow to cool and set aside in a large bowl. Strain the liquor.

Melt the butter and add the flour to form the roux and cook for 2/3 minutes then gradually add the poaching liquor and cook the sauce on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens (it should coat the back of your spatula) add grated cheeses and mustard. The sauce should be stiff. Set aside to cool.

Tip half the sauce over the flaked fish, add the prawns and fold gently so that all your fish is coated. Reserve the remaining half of the sauce to pour over the pie.

Using a slotted spoon place the mixture in the centre of the pastry. Egg wash the edges and pinch together to form 4 triangles in a square. Egg wash the completed pie and bake in the oven for 40 minutes – check after 30 minutes. Cut into 4 individual triangles and serve.

Russian or not it's really moreish and the portions are generous so think carefully about what you would serve with it – a spot of fusion as an idea – a winter coleslaw I think would go very well – the rich pastry and filling with a crispy, crunchy fresh slaw – you could even kid yourself that it's healthy – ish! In reality it's about as far from Russia as you'll ever get. The recipe probably came from Coulibiac – a Russian dish consisting of salmon, rice, mushrooms, onions and dill encased in pastry.

Notes :

I always make more mornay sauce than required for the fish – it's an indulgence to have extra to pour over the pie.

An optional extra is to add chopped hard boiled eggs.

If you are using cooked, peeled prawns don't add them until you are mixing your sauce with your cooled cooked fish.

The pie fillings – the fish pie

This recipe is flexible – deliberately using a key ingredient already baked, from your stash of ready cooked baked potatoes. You can make the sauce ahead and bake the fish too, enabling you to pull each element together without effort!

Fast Fish Pie

Serves 4

2 large baking potatoes – stab carefully with a

paring knife, wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at

180fan/200c/Gas 6 – already done!

Set aside to cool then slice thinly – skin on or

off – personal choice

500g of fresh fish, wrapped in foil and baked for

15 minutes

If you want to cook ahead you could bake your

fish for the last 15 minutes of your potato baking

time – don't forget to use your timer!

Cool the cooked fish and then place in a sealed

container ready to use

Your fish can be a mixture of whatever you choose – for example, mix smoked haddock or cod with salmon and prawns – it's whatever floats your boat – pardon the pun. If you're using cooked peeled prawns as part of your 500g of fish then don't add them until you're assembling your pie.

Next up the sauce for your fish :

Mornay Sauce

Serves 4-6

40g unsalted butter

40g plain flour

600ml of milk – I use semi skimmed

150g mature Cheddar cheese

(or a combination of Cheddar and Gruyere)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for a minute, stirring and add the mustard – make sure you don't brown the mixture. Gradually add the milk whisking constantly and eventually bring to the boil, whisking until it's smooth and thick. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then add the cheese and season. I'd taste before you add salt – there's salt in the cheese – adjust accordingly. Your sauce should be a stiff consistency.

You can make the sauce ahead, fridge or freeze.

Assembly, plus hints and tips up next …

Fast Fish Pie – assembly, plus hints and tips

When you're ready to assemble, preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

You can use foil trays – 24x24cms to serve 4 or smaller if you want individual servings, otherwise a square casserole.

Open up your foiled fish and tip it into a large mixing bowl. Break the fish into chunks, gently, then season with black pepper.

If you're using cooked, peeled prawns, now is the time to add them – if you're using frozen prawns make sure they are properly defrosted in the fridge and discard any defrosting liquor.

There will be jelly from the cooked fish – discard or include – it's all flavour and will combine with the sauce you've made. If you've not used any smoked fish then you may want to add a sprinkle of salt. Add your Mornay sauce and fold to mix, gently.

Tip the mixture into your tray or casserole.

Add the sliced cooked potatoes, add a knob or two of butter and ground black pepper. If you're feeling really decadent then sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with vibrant fresh veggies, preferably steamed or, dare I say, with a coleslaw or, if feeling really Northern, mushy peas!

A final word on fish.

Some may say it's extravagant to use cod loin in a fish pie – they'd be right. However if you're trying to convince your family to eat fish it would be a good idea to use a fish that doesn't have any bones. Using smoked fish with non-smoked gives a far less “fishy” taste. Shop smart if you can and a reminder that Aldi's range of fish – including cod and haddock loin too – is excellent and the best value. The trick here is the delicious strong cheese sauce. Tick, tick and tick!

Oh and by the way the Dijon mustard is optional but it does give an excellent zing so worth a try even if you're not a fan of mustard generally. It adds flavour without blowing your head off.

My final tip - each of the elements for this filling and the pie as a whole can be made ahead, all that remains is assembly, and whilst I probably shouldn't be advocating eating supper in front of Netflix all that's required is a deep bowl and a fork – delicious comfort food!

Dust off your slow cooker for delicious melt in the mouth chicken pie filling!

One of my old favourites – slow cook a

whole chicken – an “instant” mid week roast

and leftovers too

If you're serving four as a main then you'll get sufficient

chicken left to use for a soup

If you're serving two as a main then you'll get sufficient

chicken left to make a pie filling or shredded chicken

in pasta and a sauce using the stock

Check out the bargains and deals – you'll usually find a chicken! Rocket science it ain't but if you want to make the most of your good deal with a chicken then let the slow cooker take the strain and do the cooking for you - that's two massive ticks!

Slow Cook a Whole Chicken

1 chicken – between 1.5kg – 1.75kg

1 chicken stock pot

2 tsps of garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot

generous sprinkle of oregano or garlic

Italian seasoning

Alternatively use two whole star anise in the cavity

and omit the herbs

Place your chicken in the slow cooker and mix the stock pot with the garlic paste and spread over the chicken. Sprinkle with the herbs or add the whole star anise to the cavity and omit the herbs. Switch your slow cooker to the low setting and leave it for 8 hours.

Strain the stock and freeze the resultant liquid gold, strip the chicken, keeping aside what you need and then bag and freeze the remainder.

One thing is for sure, slow cooking a whole chicken means you get the best value and you'll use every morsel – it's the perfect food!

The Pie

Here's the result :

Chicken & Mushroom Pie

2 x slow cooked chicken breasts and/or

a mixture of leg and thigh meat -

400g in total, diced and placed in

a large bowl

250g chestnut mushrooms

Sauce Supreme – using your

chicken stock

Sliced cooked baked potatoes – 3 medium size

skin on or skin off, whichever you prefer

salt and black pepper and a dot or two of

butter

Preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Ensure that your chicken and stock have been taken from your best friend (the freezer) and fridged overnight.

There are only two elements to cook – the mushrooms and the sauce.

Heat a medium sized frying pan, slice the mushrooms and sauté with 50g of unsalted butter adding salt and black pepper. Turn the mushrooms – they'll produce water and the idea is that you use a high heat to reduce the liquid. Add a glug of dry sherry or red wine and reduce again. The sherry or wine enhances the flavour of the mushrooms. Whilst I'm at it don't be afraid to use mushrooms that might be past their “best before” date. They have more flavour.

Your sauce recipe :

15g unsalted butter

15g plain flour

½ tsp Dijon mustard

200ml double cream

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter, take the pan off the heat, add the flour and whisk. Return to the heat and cook out the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously making a roux sauce – do not walk away.

Tip your cold stock straight into the roux and whisk until smooth, then cook on a low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add the mustard and the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

You can make the sauce ahead and freeze it if more convenient – it's every bit as good from the freezer, leaving only the mushrooms to sauté on the day.

You have choices for your pie lid. I'm using the potatoes you already have in your fridge from the “whilst I'm at it, I might as well” applied principle.

You could use the ever popular puff pastry sheet, again taken from your freezer stash. A third option would be to use the 3p topping from The Tickle Tray, Panko crumbs, Parmesan and Parsley.

Add the mushrooms to the chicken and then fold through the sauce. Pour the filling into a casserole measuring 23x23 cms approximately or, in my case, a foil tray - layer the sliced potatoes over the top, add a little salt and pepper and a dot or two of butter. Place in the oven for 25 minutes and serve.

Feedback and photos on their way.

here's the topping

… “the chicken pie was to die for … sublime … and lovely”.

Definitely worth adding to your culinary repertoire – keep it simple or zhuzh it by serving in individual pots as a main course for a dinner party – complicated it ain't!

The ultimate comfort food

There's nothing that says “comfort food” like a home-made pie – no matter what the weather! Here's a selection to choose from.

The pie plan!

You can cook this ahead – the steak and kidney was slow cooked on Thursday, cooled, bagged and fridged, ready to pull together for Saturday.

To make life easier, here are the recipes for both pie fillings – first up :

Steak and Kidney Pie filling – serves 4

1kg/2.2lbs braising steak or stewing steak, cubed

275g/10oz lambs kidneys, diced

glug of rapeseed or Canola oil

2 x Knorr beef stock pots

2 heaped tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves of roasted garlic or fresh crushed garlic

salt and black pepper

You'll need a pie dish measuring 23x23x5cms/9x9x2”

Brown and season the steak in a large frying pan, using a drop of rapeseed oil – do this in small batches – if you don't you'll get grey looking meat, it will take ages and it will stew. Using a slotted spoon pop the browned meat into the slow cooker. Toss the kidneys in a little plain flour then brown in the frying pan and add to the steak in the slow cooker.

Dissolve the stock pots, gently, in the residual pan juices, then add the tomato paste – make sure the paste is properly melted and “cooked out” - if you don't do this you'll have a bitter taste. Add a glug of water to the melted stock pots and the tomato paste, stir well to combine, repeat until your pan is two thirds full. Bring to the boil and then tip – carefully – into the slow cooker. The “gravy” should cover the steak and kidney – if it doesn't top it up with boiling water. Slow cook for on low for 4 hours. If your gravy is too thin – it's personal choice - add a little slaked cornflour and thicken to taste. If you decide to thicken the gravy then I'd take the steak and kidney out of the gravy before thickening. It might seem a bit of a faff but it's worth it – the meat won't break up.

Set the slow cooked steak and kidney aside and fridge until you're ready to roll.

The pie plan - Cheese, potato and onion filling

It's no surprise that both these pies already figure on the blog – what I suppose it shows is their popularity – it's the simple things in life.

This filling is easy peasy, just three elements all of which can be made ahead, bagged, boxed and then fridged!

Cheese, potato and onion filling

Serves 4

4 medium sized baked jacket potatoes, peeled

and cut into cubes measuring 1.5cms/½”

approximately

2 medium onions, finely diced and

sautéed with a knob of unsalted butter and

a drop of rapeseed oil until softened – 5 minutes

add 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the onion

300g of grated cheeses – 100g each of Mature

Cheddar, Red Leicester and Gruyere

Black pepper

you'll need a pie dish – measuring 23x23x5cms/9x9x2”

foil or ceramic – ceramic if you're serving at the table

Using a large mixing bowl add the potatoes, onions and mustard – season generously with black pepper. Fold in the cheeses.

Both the pie fillings benefit from being made a couple of days ahead and then fridged until you're ready to complete.

All that remains is the pastry!

The pastry and the photos

As always you have “lid” options – for me it has to be puff or flaky pastry – here's my usual recipe if you want to make your own.

You will need a batch for each pie :

Fast flaky pastry

150g of unsalted butter – chilled in the freezer

220g plain flour

pinch of salt

8 tablespoons of ice cold water

Plan ahead - before you begin weigh out your butter, wrap it in foil and put it in the freezer – 30-40 minutes. Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. You'll need a cheese grater on stand-by. Remove the butter from the freezer and fold back the foil – it's easier to control when you grate the butter into a heap in the middle of the flour and salt. You can dip the butter into the flour to stop any sticking.

Using a round bladed knife mix the butter into the flour and salt. Sprinkle four tablespoons of water into the pastry and mix well. Add another four tablespoons and continue to mix. Finally use your hand to bring together – you're aiming for a clean bowl so no bits of pastry left in the bowl. Have a sheet of cling film ready – you can now use both hands to mould the pastry into whatever shape you require. Place on the cling film and wrap.

Rest the pastry in the fridge for 30 minutes before use or place the cling filmed pastry in a bag and freeze.

On a lightly floured surface roll out your pastry – dust your rolling pin too. Roll out as evenly as you can turning the pastry as it takes shape – always roll backwards and forwards and quarter turns so that it keeps to a circle. If you roll side to side you'll stretch the pastry and it will shrink when cooking!

Tip the filling into the pie dish. Egg wash the rim of the dish and then gently lift the pastry lid on top of the filling. The egg wash will glue the pastry in place and you can press the lid onto the filling gently. You can use a sharp knife to remove any excess pastry then, using a pastry fork edge the pie. Egg wash the pastry and add two cuts in the centre of the pastry to vent the pie.

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 40 minutes. I'd check after 20 minutes and turn the pie dish so as to give an even colour. It depends on your oven but I've found that even with new fan ovens the baking isn't always evenly browned.

There's always a plan B – cheat – buy puff pastry sheets – 320g x 2.

Here they are :

Yum!

Double yum!

Then there's “Sally's favourite … Homity Pie”

I normally make Homity Pie for special occasions – my recipe serves 12-16 depending on the size of slice! I decided to make the same amount of pastry but scale down the filling – I freeze the remainder for another day – here goes :

Sally's Homity Pie – makes 2

Pastry

200g plain wholemeal flour

100g unsalted butter

pinch of baking powder

ice cold water to bind

Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder until it resembles breadcrumbs, then gradually add a glug of water and use and round bladed knife to bring the pastry together.

You can use a processor if you prefer – I'd then tip the pastry directly onto clingfilm and bring it together to form a ball, then wrap and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Ahead of the game

Bake 3 large jacket potatoes, then cool, peel and dice finely

and place in a large mixing bowl

250g onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic – finely chopped or roasted

paste

1.5 tbsp rapeseed oil

salt and black pepper

2.5 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley – 1.5 tbsp for the

filling and 1 for the topping – use less if you are

using dried

150g of grated cheese – I use a mixture of mature

Cheddar, Gruyere and Red Leicester – 100g for the

filling and 50g for the topping

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil, add to the potatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Add the cheese and parsley, mix thoroughly.

Roll out your pastry and line a greased pie dish measuring 18x14x4 cms (7x5½x1½”) .

Tip your potato mixture into the pastry case and pack it down tightly and flat – it will look as if you'll never get all the filling into the case – persevere – you will succeed.

Top with the remaining cheese and parsley.

Bake in a pre-heated oven – 190fan/170c/Gas 7 for 40 minutes – check after 20 minutes.

Next up … the pie dishes

Sally's favourite Homity Pie – the dish

I wouldn't normally use a foil pie dish, in the interests of recycling and climate change et al but when I do I re-use them. However in this case the “pie dish” needs to be easy for Sally – easy to place on a baking sheet in and out of the oven – there's nothing more frustrating in recovery when you can't handle a container because it's too heavy – as light as possible and practical is the key.

With that in mind I sourced this dish :

a dish fit for purpose! 

with the pastry lining

and then the filling 

cooked and ready to eat!

More crowd pleasers to come ...

Editor's April Pick #2: Comfort Photos

Editor's note: Let's  stop for a moment and take in these photos of the aforementioned recipes. If the photos of the dumplings = both single serve and party size - don't whet the appetite then you've either just eaten or you need to scroll again. Hearty food that definitely benefits stretchier pants being worn! 

Comfort photos!

Here's another thought – if you have dinner guests who have hearty appetites you could transfer a portion of the Alfredo with a Parmesan dumpling into a individual pot complete with lid – serve as a starter but bear in mind your main should balance.

Trust me if you want comfort food look no further but a word of warning – these comfort food ideas are not for the calorie conscious nor meant for everyday more healthy eating. Perfect however for a weekend treat and hey rules are meant to be broken!

Editor's April Pick #1: Stew and Parmesan dumplings

Editor's note: This selection is coincidentally from around Easter a couple of years back and once again I am fully in favour of mixing two of the best things to happen to cooking - cheese, and dumplings. For the meat-eaters too it's worth having a read since shin beef is enjoying a resurgence -  it's two for the price of one - tender beef and fantastic dumplings!

Stew and Dumplings …

… actually it's slow cooked shin beef steaks with Parmesan dumplings.

Shin beef used to be considered an old fashioned cut of meat – it has become more fashionable of late. It is perfect for slow cooking – it has connective tissue which is broken down over a long cooking time resulting in tender meat, full of flavour.

The weather is messing with everyone at the moment – Easter has just been and gone and it hasn't exactly been kind - we are still walking round wearing sweaters and two pairs of socks and so not in the mood to surrender our comfort food yet awhile.

I hope, in the nicest way, that what follows is my last “comfort” recipe for some while :

Steak, Gravy and Parmesan Dumplings

Serves 4

1kg shin beef – cut into thick steaks

glug of rapeseed oil

2 cloves of roasted garlic

500g Passata

1 tbsp tomato paste

2tsps soft light brown sugar

2 tbsps soy sauce

250ml red wine – I used Chianti

300ml water

2 beef stock pots

salt and black pepper

Using a large frying pan heat the rapeseed oil and seal the steaks on both sides, seasoning with salt and black pepper. Set the steaks aside in the slow cooker.

Add the garlic, tomato paste, sugar, soy and stock pots and fry gently so that the tomato paste is cooked out and the stock pots melted combining all the ingredients. Add the red wine and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, add the water and the passata bring back to the boil then tip over the steaks in the slow cooker. Cook for 4-6 hours on low.

You don't have to do anything with the steak and gravy, if you leave it overnight – covered of course - in a cool place all that will happen is that the flavours have time to develop and it'll taste even better.

The perfect supper to make ahead.

Two for the price of one …

… the dumplings to go with the steak and gravy, or

... a recipe for a veggie bowlful requiring only a spoon and a boxed set!

Either way ideal if you're in the mood to put your feet up and relax. I love minimum effort that gives maximum deliciousness.

Here's the dumpling recipe :

Parmesan Dumplings

In a large bowl, mix together

100g (4oz) self raising flour

50g (2oz) vegetarian suet

pinch of salt

15g grated Parmesan cheese

add 5 tbsps of ice cold water – 100ml approx

– enough to give a

firm but pliable dough. Divide into 8 dumplings – 6 if

you'd like big ones!

30g grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

Pre-heat oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Add the dumplings to the steak and gravy and sprinkle the 30g of parmesan cheese over the dumplings and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve in a warmed bowl. For extra decadence if you've got leftover mashed potato in the fridge, warm it through place in warmed bowl, place steak on top with a generous helping of gravy, add a dumpling – or even two.

You can cater for the veggies too.

Baked Mushrooms in Alfredo Sauce

Serves 2

500g chestnut or portabellini mushrooms -

quartered

Place the mushrooms on a baking tray that has sides and bake in a pre-heated oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 10 minutes so that the mushrooms release their liquor – drain and set aside.

Place the mushrooms in a small casserole dish measuring 7x24x5 cms ish. Pour over a batch of Alfredo Sauce – see “The hot idea” for the recipe. Place the dumplings into the mushrooms and sauce. Sprnkle with the remaining Parmesan, cover with large pieces of pleated foil and bake in a pre-heated oven as before, for 30 minutes and piping hot.