Meat pie

A great pie is the sum of two equally important parts: the filling and the pastry. There are many filling variations – leftover curry, such as chicken kapitan, works very well – but any braised dish with a good ratio of sauce to meat or vegetables will work. It’s important that the sauce is slightly thick, but not gluggy. Be inventive with leftover roast chicken, roast vegetables and gravy. Using shortcrust pastry for the base makes it easier to handle, especially when eating individual pies. It’s not necessary for a large pie, but does add a good ratio of pastry to filling, and shortcrust will bake best