COOKING COMPANION
EYES ON THE
PIES Pies might be the most quintessentially British dish there is. As a nation, we’re borderline obsessed by rich fillings encased in a flaky, buttery crust. In fact, the average Brit scoffs a whopping 2,160 pies over their lifetime. And for good reason, the pie is a magical piece of gastronomy, is there any other food capable of containing the equivalent of an entire meal (gravy included) which you can hold with ease in the palm of your hand?
24 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
Someone who is passionate about pies is Chunk of Devon founder, Simon BryonEdmond. He says: “I get a bit fed up because pies so often get a bad press - people laugh and talk about pies making you fat. Funny how cupcakes never attract the same attention, even if they are packed with sugar, which really can make you fat. “There is something extra special about a good pie — succulent chunks of meat bathed in rich naturally made gravies with rich ales and wines and wrapped in a sensational buttery pastry. What’s not to like? It’s also to do with the comfort-food thing. Pie and mash and peas — even the thought of it makes you feel good. “I think people associate good times with pies. We sell huge numbers at sports events and other big occasions when people are out and about enjoying themselves. And you can eat a pie anywhere, can’t you? My first date
with my wife Suzi featured pie and chips — that’s what we ate in her old fashioned Mini on Kingsbridge quay. I’ll never forget it.” But while we’ve adopted the pie as our quasi-national dish, the origins of the dish are actually Italian with the first example of meat filling enclosed in pastry having been traced back to ancient Rome. And while the pastry is now an integral part of a pie (is it even a proper a pie if there’s no pastry on the bottom?), the crust was originally used as a sort of container to preserve the food and were discarded once the filling had been eaten. Here at Foodlover though we’re definitely in favour of eating the pastry, and we’ve got some great advice on making sure your pastry and pie making is a success this British Pie Week.
