Pie and Mash

Pie and Mash"It's plain and simple working class grub !"

The great working class food tradition in London is Pie and Mash. Historically, the pies were made from scraps of beef and vegetables; leftovers or from the local markets, under a pastry crust. The mashed potatoes were liberally covered in parsley gravy or "liquor".

Hot pies, a reasonably priced sustenance food have been a London tradition since Victorian times when they were sold on the streets by piemen. Fish pies were stuffed with eels, but with fish becoming scare during the Second World War minced meat became the standard filling.

 

 

How to Cook Pie and Mash with parsley liquor - a classic recipe:

Pie and Mash

Make individual pies and serve them with a scoop of mashed potato and some parsley liquor to recreate this famous East End dish.

Ingredients list (Serves 4):
Lean minced beef - 600g (1 lb 5 oz)
Vegetable oil - 2 teaspoon
Onion - 1 medium, peeled and chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
Plain flour - 2 teaspoon
Tomato purée - 2 tsp
English mustard - 1 tsp
Mushrooms - 75g (3 oz), finely chopped
Brown ale or bitter - 1 x 300 ml (11 fl oz) can
Puff pastry - 400g (14 oz), or shortcrust or suet crust pastry
Milk 2 tsp or egg white

Cooking Method:

  • Brown the minced beef in the oil in a hot pan, breaking up the mince with the back of a spoon as it browns.
  • Add the onion and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and tomato purée and cook a further 2 minutes. Add the mustard, mushrooms and brown ale and bring slowly to the boil. Cover then simmer for 20 minutes. Cool.
  • Turn the mixture into a 1 litre (1¾ pint) pie dish or 4 individual pie dishes.
  • Roll the pastry out large enough to cover the large pie dish or smaller dishes. Cut pastry to fit and press firmly onto the dish. Brush with milk or egg white to glaze.
  • Bake at 220 °C / 425 °F / Gas 7 for 15 minutes for small pies 20-25 minutes for large or until the pie is golden.

 

Parsley Liquor

This is a recipe for the famous green sauce that is served with Pie and Mash.

Ingredients list (Serves 4):
Butter - 25g (1 oz)
Plain flour - 25g (1 oz)
Water - 300 ml (10 fl oz), or chicken stock
Fresh parsley - 4 teaspoon, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Malt vinegar - 1 teaspoon, optional
You can use milk, fish (eel) stock or potato juice instead of water, if you prefer.

Method:

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
  • Gradually add the water or stock. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Add the parsley and seasoning and vinegar if using.
  • Serve with a minced beef pie and mashed potatoes.