As Charles Dickens observed in his famous novel A Tale of Two Cities, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . .” Recently, at the Ireland house, that was an apt description.
We enjoyed a fantastic Christmas break but it was almost time for the kids to return to school. A bittersweet time, we decided to have a “bake-off” for one of our last meals before their departure dates to inject some extra fun. Both of my children have begun exploring the kitchen and discovered a couple of new recipes they wanted to share. My son is a meat and potatoes kid. He discovered a very hearty steak and ale pie that he and his housemates cooked with great success this past semester. My daughter, a budding pastry chef, wanted to try a decadent coconut cream pie.
Two pies and two determined kids: Who would win the bake-off? As you might have guessed, a good mother could never pick a favorite child OR a favorite pie. Both pies (and kids) got top marks and were perfectly delicious. Many thanks to my family for a wonderful holiday and for always making my kitchen a fun and lively place to gather.
Selby’s Steak and Ale Pie
My son lives in a house with eight other guys. They have been organized about making a weekly menu and dividing up the grocery list and kitchen responsibilities. They try to make big meals to share with everyone. The Steak and Ale Pie is one of their favorite discoveries from last semester. I can see why they enjoyed it so much. It has a rich, flavorful filling around pie crust. Never a bad choice in my book.
We determined that it may be better to make the filling the day before and allow the flavors to develop. Then simply assemble the pie immediately before baking. Another option we discussed, is to convert the pie (with crust on top and bottom) to a pot pie by putting the filling into a 9 x 13” casserole dish, and then topping it with a sheet of puff pastry before baking. Bake as directed or until top is puffed and golden brown and serve.
For the pie filling:
3-4 tablespoons oil
1 package, bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup flour
3 1/2 - 4 pounds of good quality stewing meat cut into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes
1 room temperature bottle of ale or “stout” beer (We used Newcastle Brown Ale)
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon, prepared horseradish sauce
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped and lightly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water, if needed
For the pie:
1 box or two ready-made piecrusts (or one sheet puff pastry)
1 egg, beaten for glaze
To prepare the filling:
Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick pan or Dutch oven and cook the bacon and onions until onions are golden in color and bacon is lightly crispy. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes. Take out and set aside using a slotted spoon.
In the same pan, add two tablespoons of oil. Season the steak with salt and pepper or other seasonings, and dredge in flour. Add the steak to the hot oil a few pieces at a time to sear in batches. Fry the meat until it is well browned on all sides and add more oil as necessary. Take out and set aside.
Deglaze the pan with about half the bottle of the ale. Allow to simmer and scrape the pan to remove all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the ale, the bacon, and remaining ingredients for the pie to the pot. Bring to simmer and cover, simmering one and a half hours or until the meat is very tender.
In a separate bowl, combine two tablespoons of cold water with two tablespoons cornstarch to make a slurry and add the slurry to the pan to thicken the mixture, if needed. Continue to simmer uncovered until thickened. Season to taste and remove bay leaf. Filling can be cooled and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
When ready to serve the pie, preheat the oven to 400°. If you made the filling ahead of time, allow to come to room temperature or warm slightly. Roll out one pie crust and line a regular pie dish with crust. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the edge. Spoon the beef mixture into the dish and top with an additional pastry crust. Brush the top with egg, cut a few slits in the top to vent, and bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry has browned.
If making it in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, simply put the meat mixture in dish and top with one sheet of defrosted puff pastry. Brush with egg and bake as directed above until pastry is golden brown and puffed.
Allow pie to rest for a few minutes, slice and serve with a simple green salad and mashed potatoes.
Anna Kat’s Triple
Coconut Cream Pie
My daughter’s entry into the pie competition was a triple coconut pie that we saw on Instagram. It is a copycat recipe from a famous bakery in Seattle, called Dahlia Bakery. Since we are big fans of coconut, we thought this would hit the spot.
To prepare the coconut pie crust:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
8 tablespoons or one stick cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup ice cold water, or more as needed
In a bowl of the food processor, combine flour, coconut, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Carefully add diced butter and pulse to form crumbs. Add the water two tablespoons at a time pulsing after each addition. Add only as much water as needed to get the dough to just hold together when pressed between your fingers. It will not form a ball, but will be quite loose.
Place a large sheet of plastic wrap on the kitchen counter and carefully dump the coconut dough onto it. Wrap the plastic wrap around it to form a disk and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.
To prepare the coconut pastry cream:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup canned unsweetened; coconut milk (not low fat) stirred
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons room temperature butter
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine milk, coconut milk, and shredded coconut. Add vanilla extract and cook on medium high heat until mixture is almost to a boil.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour until combined. Carefully temper, the egg mixture with the milk by adding small amounts of the hot mixture until the eggs are warmed enough to add all the eggs to the saucepan of milk and coconut.
Whisk over medium high heat until the pastry cream thickens, and begins to bubble slightly. Keep whisking constantly until the mixture is very thick and remove sauce pan from heat. Add the butter and whisk it until it melts.
Remove the vanilla pod, if using, and transfer the pastry cream to the refrigerator to completely chill, stirring occasionally. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the pastry to prevent a crust from forming.
To assemble the pie and make the whipped cream top:
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup sweetened coconut, lightly toasted
Whip the heavy cream in a stand mixer with a sugar, vanilla, and salt until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to top.
When ready to roll piecrust, unwrap the round of coconut dough and put it on a lightly floured board. Flour a rolling pin and roll dough into a circle about an 1/8 inch thick. Carefully, move dough to a pie plate. Do not stretch the dough as it will shrink when it is cooked.
Chill pie shell for at least 15 to 20 minutes while the oven preheats. Preheat oven to 400°. Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a sharp knife or fork a few times and place a piece of parchment in the pie shell and fill with pie weights or dried beans. This prevents the shell from puffing up during baking.
Bake pie crust for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the beans and parchment paper. Return shell back to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.
Remove and allow to cool completely. Once crust is cooled, spread the coconut pastry cream evenly into the cooled pie crust. Using a piping bag or a spatula, top coconut custard with the whipped cream. Sprinkle on the toasted coconut. Allow pie to chill in the refrigerator at least two hours, if possible.
