Well, in yesterday’s post, you’ve all seen how I made the pie pastry. The next step is to make the filling. These were the ingredients that I used…
…finely-chopped garlic and Bombay onion, thinly-sliced canned mushrooms and minced meat marinated generously with smoked barbecue sauce and pepper. Like I’ve said before, it is entirely up to you to create your own filling…and this is usually what I would have in my shepherd pie but with minced beef, of course.
There was only pork and chicken in the freezer and my missus had got the seller at the market to cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, so it would be quite a chore to debone that to get the meat. In the end, I opted to use the former.
Heat up a bit of oil in the wok, fry the garlic and onion till light brown, throw in the meat and stir till cooked and lastly, add the mushrooms. I did not add any water but if you have any gravy/sauce, you may have to add a bit of cornflour dissolved in water to thicken it. Otherwise, when you bake the pies, you may get it boiling out of the air holes/gaps like a volcano! LOL!!!
Having got the filling done, it was time to make the pies. I used a piece of aluminium foil to line the top of the table. Otherwise, you may have to dust it with flour…and as I always have the fan on full blast, it may fly all over the kitchen. Besides, your table top may be somewhat oily when you’re done…
Roll the pastry to make the pie base and put that in the foil pie mould, trim off the edges…and then put in the filling…
Next roll some more pastry to make the pie cover and again, you’ll have to trim off the edges…
You may seal the pie using the press and turn method – the way they make curry puffs but I’m not good at that and they end up looking quite horrible. Thus, I used a chopstick to press down the edges together…
Poke air holes in the cover using a fork or cut air vents with a knife…for the hot air to escape during baking…
You may want to decorate your pies in any way you see fit. Now that Christmas is over, I opted for the hearts or four-leaf clovers for good luck – like what Elin did when she made her flaky pastry chicken pies recently ! LOL!!! Break an egg and beat it and brush the surface of the pie with it using a brush. Now, where is that darn brush again? Sometimes, looking for something in the house is like going on a treasure hunt!
Put the pies in the oven to bake. I did not heat up the oven first…but it would be better to turn on the bottom part first and after 10-15 minutes, turn on the top part as well. As for the heat, I set it at 200-250 degrees…but I put the rack lower down in the oven.
The last time, it was higher up and the edges got a bit burnt very quickly. I did not time it…but kept an eye on it periodically all the while until the pies had turn into a nice golden colour and I could smell the fragrance from afar…
Then the pies are done and ready to be served piping hot…
I tried one…
…and needless to say, it tasted great! Yum!!! Yum!!! Wanna have one? Hehehehehe!!!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Looking yummmzzz!!! Your oven must be electric,mine is gas so I probably don’t need to set the temp. at such high level.
I’ve never used gas ovens, so I wouldn’t know. The temperature can be lower but I guess it will take longer to cook or to turn into that nice golden colour…
Hahaha… any chance of mailing it here ? My residential college doesn’t allow us to cook in our room
Well, you had the chance to taste my pies during the Christmas dinner. Hopefully, when you come back again during the hols, you’ll find me in the mood…and I can make some more for you. Beef ones! I know you prefer those! 🙂
OMG… I can’t believe I overlsept! Ho ho ho… Good morning Sir! LOL… wokehh… back to our lesson… you sed…
“it it would be better to turn on the bottom part first and after 10-15 minutes, turn on the top part as well. As for the heat, I set it at 200-250 degrees”
So, total, the pie will have to stay in the oven for how long? 30minutes? How come mine always get burnt? *sigh*
I just peeped…after a while, peep again…and again…and again. Didn’t take note of the time. My oven, got light inside – can switch on one….and can see through the glass panel. And actually, when almost ready, you can smell the fragrance of the butter pastry and the filling in the pies. Dunno what oven you use. Maybe your rack is too near the top…so it gets burnt very quickly – like what happened to the one I made for Christmas.
My oven don’t have light inside… cheap oven. LOL… just nice to use to cook and reheat things onli lah. Dun think can use it for fancy stuff. Each time I oso can’t really peek, cuz quite dark inside. Cannot see… end up a lot of things that i cook quite burnt. Usually I open the oven to see how issit inside… lol… but u kno la… liddat the outcome turn out to be quite cacat most of the times.
Aiyor…cannot open oven one – the heat escapes! Like dat, once you can smell…more or less, siap already! LOL!!!
I cannot see mah… inside gelap gelap liddat…. I scared burn the food, den cannot eat… but everytime oso nids to take longer time to cook… ahaha… yalorr, the heat escape! LMAO…. my nose cannot pakai wan. As long as smell nice, i confirm say ok d… but take out, put on the table, still uncooked! Haihhh!
Ever consider supplying the pies to bakery shops around town? 🙂
Nope…it’s not difficult to make, the ingredients also not expensive…but I don’t think I would enjoy doing the same thing day in and day out. Would get bored very soon…
He cannot wan… you know why? You see oredi know… cuz he ended up walloping all even before they’re out of the oven. What’s more, his daughter loves to eat his cooking…dun tink his pastries will make it to the stores. LMAO…..
Hahahaha!!! No lah! I’m basically VERY lazy by nature. If I had been very hardworking, I would have been filthy rich by now. Just take life easy, relax, enjoy…and eat! 😀
LOL… yeah, agreed. Eating is a joy. If you make a career out of cooking, you’ll end up hating your own cooking. A lot of chef liddat wan. My godbrother oso same. He’s a chef… but he dun like to eat his own cooking. Says sien worr…
Yalor…imagine every day doing the same things, seeing the same things, stuck in the hot kitchen! That kind of life’s definitely not for me….but they do make a lot! Really really rich!
if it’s chicks pie i would request u bring to kl liao..too bad i don eat beef…
no nid u chia me lar as later i eat the whole shop til u pokai…i chia u beter…i just simply say midnite coz my schedule meet up with tan sri evening aft that straight go cck shopping den balu free unless u wan follow me shopping… 😉
No, thanks! I’ve no money to go shopping…and old man, can’t walk around too much! Tiring and all kinds of pain – back pain, leg pain…everywhere pain. If you can massage for me, ok lah! Hahahahaha!
Tipu… bet before your girl go NZ, you’ll shop like mad for her!
No lah…my daughter very simple girl, want to buy for her, she also doesn’t want. Give her money, she doesn’t spend – except on books and sometimes she may go out to eat with friends, that’s all! No shopping for clothes, shoes, cosmetics or go do hair, facial treatment and all that! Not like the mum! Hehehehehe!!!!
Haiyorr… cannot never shop for her before she go NZ… must buy those clothes wan ma…must buy abit…later she cold lah!
Baju musim sejuk…borrow from here, there and everywhere lah! From people who have been overseas before. Pensioner, so poor…so must scrimp and save. They will get allowance for that actually – she can spend on food…or buy more there if not enough to keep her warm. Must buy thermal underwear there…
sifu! your pies look so ‘professional’!!haha~thanks for sharing~
They certainly look good, eh? I think I can make pies anytime now, no problem. Can pass already! LOL!!!
Yalorr, looks so professional looking eh? Very pretty… i wouldn’t bother with presentations, though. As to me, as long as it’s edible, it’s good enough. I’m hopeless d, hor?
I think presentation is important. Looks nice, may seem to taste nicer. But I’m not so good at it. My missus better, more halus so when she does things, usually more cantik! I’m very kasar one… 😀
I cannot…cannot bother wif presentations. My sharks are usually impatient. LOL…
At home, eat yourselves…no need lah! But if having guests, entertaining…then try to make it look nicer lor! If taste not so good, at least can look attractive! Hahahahaha!!!!
Not an easy task to do! Making pies for the family members only I presume? I bet you don’t have a proper recipe for this?
Just to use up the things left around the house from the Christmas party. I cannot stand seeing things sitting there idle, occupying space! The flour (Still got a little bit left! Tsk! Tsk!), the butter….but the butter not enough for me to use, so I used half butter and half margarine – so this pastry’s not as nice as what we had fro Christmas. It’s really very easy…no problem at all, preparation tasks are light… Just need to have a bit of time as I do it all slow and easy. Everything’s agak-agak – you know lah, me old school! But the pastry, the flour:butter – HAVE to follow the 2:1 ratio strictly. Too much flour – it can be as hard as stone!
Cikgu cooks from the heart. LOL… I’m so proud of him… ahaha…
Cooks from the heart….into the tummy… Let’s stop there! Hahahahahaha!!!!
Half pack of flour to 1 whole butter, rite, Cikgu?
Yup. 1 block of butter = 250 gms, 1 box flour = 1 kg…so half = 500 gms.
Siggh… my husband bising want Shepherd’s pie. Cikgu, where is the link? I search your blog kenot find. Help me please?
Here, I used corned beef and onions for the filling: https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/the-lonely-goatherd/
But you can use the same filling as the one in this post – can use minced beef, I think even nicer! Mashed potatoes – you peel, cut into smaller slices/ chunks and boil till soft. Put in bowl, add a spoonful of butter and a few slices of cheddar cheese – cut into small bits…and mash together. Then add milk – evaporated or fresh milk, a bit at a time and keep mashing until you get a smooth dough that does not stick to the side of the bowl. You use that as the pie cover – spread it over the filling in a pie dish (can use a fork to do this and make ridges on the surface)…and put it in the over to bake. I do not use piping – the way they do icing on cakes.
I dun think I can be bothered with piping it. Spread the mashed potatoes on it would be good enuff lah. Eh… I think I’ll have to omit the milk lah… no milk. LOL… don care oredi lah… keep on bising wanna eat… I go try for dinner later. LOL… hopefully wun get burn!
Good luck… Can take photos and post!!!
If dun get burn, den oni I take pic… if not, i feed the sharks at home onli lah! LOL…
Hahahaha!!! The bau, just sweep under the carpet. See my post tomorrow – tak jadi also, I post! Learn from mistakes bah! 🙂
Hey Arthur……hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink ….. LOL!!!!
*continues whistling…still pretending he doesn’t get the hint! LOL!!! Nudging – no use – too fat, no rasa! 😀
LMAO, Zee… he will tell, you to dream on!
But if she comes to Sibu, I’ll surely make for her! Anybody who comes to Sibu, I’ll cook whatever I’ve featured…or take them to eat whatever they’ve read about in my blog. Anybody coming to Sibu soon? Hehehehehe!
Jahat! I want to, but cannot… nobody take care of my boy. *sigh* mebbe when he’s older. LOL..
Being a parent, like that lah! Have to sacrifice…what to do? But looking back and at what my girl has grown up to become, I find it’s all worth it. Hope God will continue to bless us as he has been doing all this while…
The result looks great! I wonder who is taking the photos while you’re making it?
Yes, I think I’m getting quite good at it now. I used my left hand to take the photos – very hard to hold the camera steady and hence, the somewhat blurry photos… And everytime I wanted to press the shutter button, I pressed the on/off button! @#$%&*!!!! Hahahahaha!!!!
I tot only I have that kind of problem. But i use my hand phone to take pictures… the pictures all come out lousy! LOL…
Last time, I used my hp to take photos…and people complained and complained and complained! Now I’ve inherited my daughter’s old digicam, can take better photos – they do not drop by my blog anymore. Nothing to complain or grumble about anymore, I guess…so not keen on commenting! Tsk! Tsk!
Yeah! I wanna have one STP! Can you send one to me. Awww…so beautifully made. Thanks for the procedures. 🙂
Hah!!! Planning to come to Sibu anytime soon? Otherwise, just enjoy looking at what’s on your monitor! 😀
Rachel will be home tomorrow. Just wonder if she would learn that from you, just like how she learned her English:)
She doesn’t have to learn from me… Your chicken pie is so very nice!!!! I would love to learn to make the filling the way you did… Mine’s just anyhow one!
hi STP…coming by before i go snooze for awhile. Your pastry looks very neat, smooth and with 4 cute lovely loves too on top…
but u know what.. i wont be like cleffairy.. i wont go bake and troubling myself… what I do know is I want your chicken and shepherd pies the first thing I land in Sibu!! Hope u’ll be able to oblige me that Small favor…
Sure! Sure! Looking forward to your visit! Free lodging, free food…and tours. Bring your kids…and if Elin wants to come, so much the better! Most welcome! She can cook… Hahahahaha!!!!
LOL-ed very, very hard…. tis Claire, no hope liao! Ahahaha! Eh… dono she wan to see brinjal anot, ah, Cikgu? LMAO…
Hahahahahaha!!! You are so bad! Laugh at Claire! She’s VERY nice lady, yunno! My friend! I went Ipoh, she belanja me BIG makan!!! 😀
WOW… I want one too!
Must ask hubby to make when he comes back.lol
GOOD JOB!
Is cleffairy and you using the same avatar? She comments here more than her own blog.lol Do the same for my blogs, cleffairy?
Have you a great week ahead now, Suituapui !
hugs,
shakira
Yes! Yes! Bug him! Ask him to refer to my posts! If I can do it, any other hubby can! Hahahahahaha!!!! Ya, Cleffairy enjoys it here…so let her lah! She deserves a break… I’m just as happy having her around!
Btw, ur first time here? Welcome…and do drop by often. Will link you in my blogroll.
P.S.:
Oops! Just saw your comment in Cleffairy’s blog. Your hubby’s a chef? Blush! Blush!…Anyway, all the more reason why he should be able to make for you then! 😀
LOL… I’m just a big bugger la. Ahahaha… ehh… Cikgu… FAILED…. lol… burn abit lah… black black on top… lucky still edible! LMAO….looks like nids more practice…
You put in the oven and then you went online? Or you went and did some other things?…I don’t believe in multi-tasking if one wants a job well done…but that’s what ALL young people do these days, and they even claim that women can multi-task better than men…
har…this’s da recipe that richard tham copied and rectified one…
how nice if i can cook in dorm…i can hide a rice cooker, but how da heck am i gonna hide one oven?
haih, not that i can afford one la…
Ya…I dunno why in Malaysian uni hostels, they cannot provide a kitchenette – at least one on each floor for people to share and do their cooking – like students’ hostels/apartments overseas. Maybe they would rather not have the hassle over non-halal food! You know lah – some people are ultra-sensitive and on the other hand, some are not very considerate. Btw, Richard sent me a few… Will feature my review in my next next post! 😀
so why is the one pastry tin different from the others?
Off topic, but by the way, make sure Mel has scarves and gloves in NZ, because it can get bloody cold!
I once bought a set of 6 (along with a dozen of the foil type)…and rummaging thru the cupboards, those were all I found. Only one left, dunno what happened to the other 5. That’s why I said looking for something in the house is like some kind of treasure hunt! The foil type. of course, getting less and less…as when giving the pies to people, I do not get them back.
Yup! Thanks! Especially Wellington. Somebody said it’s cold ALL year – the icy wind gets into your clothes…and eats into your bones… She’s bringing a lot of winter clothings, two scarves and a pair of gloves, a ski cap (not that she’s going skiing)…and if necessary, she can always buy more there…including thermal underwear!
My wife made a suggestion just now: STP made some pies. How about we also make some for the children…Looks like I have to study in detail now. It also happen just now when Tim told me “daddy, everyday you cook the same thing. I wanted to eat pizza”. Pressure on me now!
Good! Good! A friend, “inspired” by my pie posts, made some char siew sio pao over the weekend…and sent a few over to my house to try. Will post of them soon. I saw somebody commenting on Facebook that she also felt like making some. SESCO, of course, will be very happy! Hahahahaha!!!!
Aiyo.. got heart shapes somemore!!!! So beautifully done.. so the very yummy looking.. aiks.. why u so clever one?
Aiyor…where got clever? Just use cookie cutter, want stars also can! LOL!!! But the leaves and berries for the Christmas pie…and the Christmas tree with baubles – those I had to cut manually!
I know why, submerryn…becoz he’s a Cikgu. Cikgu are supposed to be smart. LMAO…
Not necessarily… Not this one, that’s for sure. Bluff, bluff one only…
Hey, awesome stuff! The pies are even decorated. I must have some of this when I go back to Sibu. Cook together? 🙂
I like the decorating part best! LOL!!! Chinese New Year…I’ll be stuck in KL after sending my girl off to NZ at KLIA on the 11th. Will only be back in Sibu late night on 1st day of CNY. When are you coming back? How long are you staying? Will give you a tinkle.
Woooo nice, just like the ones out from bakeries oven. STP Bakery…..LOL!
Ya…I’m getting good at this. Very proud of my pies now… 🙂