This is kind of things I’m eating as well. Pies. I love pies. You could look at me and guess that. I am however quite fussy about my pies. A pie must be pastry, all the way round. Top and bottom. A casserole with a puff pastry lid that calls itself a pie is a travesty. It should not be called a pie, it is a dish of lies and disappointment. I’ve gotten to the stage in restaurants and pubs where I will ask, ‘Is it a proper pastry pie, or a casserole with a lid?’ This is usually met with a giggle, and if it’s a mini casserole of deceit, I will not order it.

I also love pork pies, proper hot water pastry pork pies. That pastry can be a tricky to make and use, it’s made with lard that you dissolve in boiling water, which is pretty unpleasant to do and it takes quite a long time to cook, but it is so worth it. I made a massive pie late last year with a mixture of chicken and gammon in a red wine gravy, which was delicious with a few roasties, some veg and gravy. That pie was even better cold. That pastry while good hot, really comes into its own when its cold. It really firms up, yet still stays crispy. We got 4 dinners out that pie, that’s how big my pie was and they were not small slices of pie. It was proper pie.

Here’s where I contradict my own argument. A pie has to be pastry, all the way round. And yet I’m totally fine with Cottage pie and Shepherd’s Pie, being called pies. But they’re not pies, they’re potato topped mince ultimately. The same with fish pie, or St Stephen’s pie, they’re not pies, they’re yummy things wallowing in creamy sauces under a buttery creamy mashed potato topping. But I’m totally ok with calling them pies. And if you order it at a restaurant or a pub, you know exactly what you’re going to get. I’d never order those pies, I’m really fussy (see a theme here) about béchamel sauce and I’ll generally only eat it if I’ve cooked it.