The KaiKai Book

In this video Chef John teaches you how to cook Corned beef and potato pie. INGREDIENTS AND COOKING METHOD The Pastry: 340g / 12oz Plain or all purpose flour, 85g / 3oz cold butter, 85g / 3oz cold lard or shortening, ½tsp / 4g Salt, 115mls / 115g / 4 oz of cold water, 1 small egg (wash), The filling: 900g / 2lb Potatoes (suitable for mashing), 340g / 12oz tin of Corned beef, 30g / 1oz Finely chopped spring onions, ¼tsp / 1g White pepper, ½tsp / 4g Salt, Making the pastry: Add the flour, salt, cold butter and lard to a food processor, pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, add the cold water, when the pastry forms into a ball it is done, this should only take about 45 seconds. Cut the pastry in half form each half into a puck shape, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until needed. To make the pastry by hand: add the flour, salt, cold butter and lard to a bowl, rub the ingredients together until there is no more lumps of fat, form a well in the middle add the water and cut it together using an ordinary dinner knife, then bring it all together into a doughball with your hands. Making the filling: Peel, cut, and wash the potatoes. Boil for 20 minutes. Dice the corned beef, and finely chop the spring onions. Once the potatoes have finished boiling, drain and mash (do not add butter). Place the corned beef, spring onions, salt and pepper in the mashed potatoes and roughly mix together with a fork, then finish them off with the masher until you have smooth mix. Preheat your oven to 190°C that’s 375°F or gas mark 5. Making the Pie: Roll each pastry big enough to fit the pie tin, (see video for rolling technique). Place the bottom pastry into the greased tin carefully pushing it down into the corners. Add the filling and level it off with a fork, try to dome the mixture so the middle is slightly higher than the edges, Brush water around edge of the rim before adding the top pastry. Crimp the edges together as shown in the video, (see video for crimping technique) trim off the excess pastry. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash, prick in a few vent holes using a fork. Get the pie into the preheated oven and set the timer for 30 minutes, check when the time is up, if it’s a golden shiny brown it’s done, if it’s still a little pale give it another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it relax for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy