sushee's traditional Christmas Pie
It's tradition in our family, for as long as I can remember, that we make this pie every Christmas. All my uncles and aunts on my mother's side make it, and my Grandmother did too. But it is a great meal for everyday if you prefer, too! This makes a big pie too so adjust if you want less.
Ingredients:
300g pork mince
5 chicken thigh fillets
1 tin of quails eggs
1 tin of ****tail sausages (or if you prefer, 10-12 chipolatas fried and cut into 2)
2 large potatoes
2 carrots
1 onion finely sliced
1/4 stick of butter
1 tbsp mixed spice
3 tbspns corn flour
salt and pepper to taste
3 sheets shortcrust pastry
1 egg
First, season the pork mince with salt and pepper and then roll in into balls the size of a small marble. Shallow fry the meatballs in small batches until golden brown all over. Remove and put aside for later.
Trim the thigh fillets of fat, then cut them into 6ths. Skin and cube the potaoes into 2cm X 2cm X 2cm cubes and do the same for the carrots, trying to keep all the veg around the same size. Drain the quails eggs and sausages and put aside all these for later.
Heat a big pot on the stove top, and when hot, dissolve the butter until bubbling. Add the onions and stir until caramelising, then add the potatoes. Sprinkle 1/2 the mixed spice over the potatoes and sitr until coated. Add enough water to cover the potatoes, then add the carrots. Once the pot is simmering (usually within a minute or two) add the chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the meatballs, sausages and the remaining mixed spice and then if necessary, add more water to just under where everything would be covered. This forms your gravy so how much water you add is up to you.
When the pot comes to a boil, dissolve the 3 tbsps of corn flour into 1/2 cup of water and then add to the pot. This will thicken the gravy. Lastly, add the quail eggs, salt & pepper to taste, and once boiled, turn the heat off and allow the filling to cool.
In a pie dish, spoon in the cooled filling, the brush the edges of the pie dish with egg, and cover with shortcrust pastry, making sure to press overlapping pastry together. Decorate the top of the pie with more pastry if desired then wash the top of the pie with egg. Bake in an oven at 180 degrees until pastry is cooked and golden brown.
Then serve!
