The Perfect Party Pie
WORDS:: Chyka Keebaugh
PHOTOS:: Lisa Atkinson
I’m sorry, but a Grand Final Day gathering is not complete without the perfect party pie!
There are plenty of varieties out there that you can buy, but you know what? Nothing is as good as the homemade version. There is nothing better than biting into the perfect pie just as the footy starts; it goes hand in hand with a cold beer and a roomful of friends yelling at the TV!
Party pies are the perfect snack to precook, leaving you time to enjoy the day, and having made these pies over the years, I promise you everyone will love them.
Not a pie lover? How about a sausage roll then..
Party Pies
Makes 24
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ brown onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 carrot, grated
- 300g beef mince
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- ¾ cup beef stock
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 5 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
- 2 tbsp milk
Method
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and carrot, cook until carrot has softened. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and breaking up the mince, for 6 minutes until browned.
- Add tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring for one minute. Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring for 6 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
- Spray 2 x mini muffin trays with oil.
- Using a 6.5cm cutter, cut 24 rounds from the puff pastry. Line the prepared muffin trays with the pastry rounds.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of mince into each pastry case.
- Using a 6cm cutter, cut 24 rounds from remaining pastry
- Top the mince mixture with the rounds, press the edges together to seal.
- Using a fork, indent the top of each pie and then brush tops with milk
- Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through until golden and crisp.
Pork & Fennel Sausage Rolls
Makes 16
Ingredients
- 1 tsp fennel seed, plus extra for sprinkle
- 1 tsp brown mustard seed
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 80g pancetta
- 450g pork mince
- 1.5 cups breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
- 1/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 orange, zest only
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 375g puff pastry
- Sesame seeds, to sprinkle
- Poppy seeds, to sprinkle
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C and line a tray with baking paper.
- Toast spices in a dry frypan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pound the spices in a mortar and pestle until finely ground. Set aside.
- Return pan to medium heat. Cook onion and pancetta for 5 minutes or until onion softens, stirring. Add spices, then cool.
- Add onion mixture to a large bowl with pork, crumbs, parsley, zest and half the egg. Season and mix well, then refrigerate until needed.
- Roll out pastry on a floured surface to a 5mm-thick, 40cm x 28cm rectangle, then halve into 2 long rectangles.
- Shape pork into two 40cm sausages, about 4cm wide. Place 1 sausage on each pastry rectangle, then roll up to enclose.
- Turn rolls seam side down, brush with egg and sprinkle with fennel, sesame and poppy seed.
- Cut on an angle into 5cm pieces, then place on a tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve with tomato sauce or chutney.
And what goes perfectly with party pies?
A homemade BBQ sauce is easy to make and is also delicious with party pies and sausage rolls. Make up a few extra jars and gift your guests as they leave as a reminder of your Grand Final Day celebrations.
A simple tomato-based salad is a perfect side to have with your pies. It’s fresh, colorful and a healthy nod to a pies best friend - tomato sauce. Simple and fresh, and easy to make.
What goes with Pies? Beer of course! But not everyone likes to drink beer on its own, so let’s jazz it up a little! Walking into a party and being handed a cocktail is a must and beer can be perfect in a selection of cocktails so let’s explore this for Grand Final Day.