Savory Pies

[Pie Designs]

Hello from Sunny South Africa, where "pie" generally means a savoury filling in a pastry shell.

I know that in other parts of the world the term "pie" is mostly used for pastry with sweet fillings (you know, cherry, apple, blueberry, pumpkin etc) and sometime pot pie is used when describing a savoury pie!

I'm not sure about where you live - but here the savoury pie is very popular and becoming more so each passing year. I am interested in the popularity of the pie in your home town / country and which is your favourite savoury pie!

Look forward to all the feedback!

Edited May 16, 2008 by Pie Designs (log)

[Syrah]

There's the meat pie which is an Australian institution.

I am also quite fond off bacon and egg pie when I need comfort food.

Pizza rustica is a pie that I have made over the last 5 years or so and always to raves (basically a deli meat/cheese pie)

[etalanian]

We enjoyed an amazing hand pie from a local bakery here (Metropolitan Bakery) in Philadelphia at their Reading Terminal Market stand. The crust may have been an oil crust; it was dense yet light and very tender, and the filling was comprised of a savory curry-flavored blend of lentils and other vegetables. Very good. My husband bought one while waiting to help me load the car after teaching a class, and it was so amazing he bought one for me to try. When he handed it to me in the car he watched me expectantly while I took the first bite. He wanted to see my reaction, which was one of pure ecstasy.

There is no mention of it in their lovely cookbook. Anyone have the recipe for this?

Eileen

[Beebs]

I ate a chicken pie for breakfast just now!

Here in Vancouver the Asian bakeries carry little tart-sized savoury pies, usually chicken. It comes baked in a fattening, flakey crust typically made with a lot of lard. Puff pastry pies filled with chicken or curry beef are also very common.

[kbjesq]

I'm in the Southern US and savory pies are not too popular here, aside from quiche (eggs, cheese and assorted fillings baked in a pie crust) and chicken or turkey pot pies.

My favorite savory pie is "Russian Vegetable Pie" which has hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms and cabbage. A basic recipe is here.

[cathrynapple]

I've recently been trying to replicate the low quality convenience store puff pastry chicken pies that I love so much in S.A.

My brother has cravings for them and I'll do three dozen at a time. He eats them in a couple of days!

I realize the pies could be of better quality, but the nostalgia associated with those junk food pies comes first. I was startled to see how much they'd gone up in price last time we went home. When i was a kid they were going for under three rand each.

[Pie Designs]

We enjoyed an amazing hand pie from a local bakery here (Metropolitan Bakery) in Philadelphia at their Reading Terminal Market stand. The crust may have been an oil crust; it was dense yet light and very tender, and the filling was comprised of a savory curry-flavored blend of lentils and other vegetables. Very good. My husband bought one while waiting to help me load the car after teaching a class, and it was so amazing he bought one for me to try. When he handed it to me in the car he watched me expectantly while I took the first bite. He wanted to see my reaction, which was one of pure ecstasy.

There is no mention of it in their lovely cookbook. Anyone have the recipe for this?

Eileen

←

Sounds heavenly! If you manage to get the recipe, I'd be very interested in trying it out!

[Pie Designs]

I've recently been trying to replicate the low quality convenience store puff pastry chicken pies that I love so much in S.A.

My brother has cravings for them and I'll do three dozen at a time. He eats them in a couple of days!

I realize the pies could be of better quality, but the nostalgia associated with those junk food pies comes first. I was startled to see how much they'd gone up in price last time we went home. When i was a kid they were going for under three rand each.

←

Junk Food? Bite your tongue!!

But I agree, nothing beats a good quality savoury pie!

[HeatherM]

Meat pies are wonderful. I'll often make chicken pies to have for work lunches - they're great hot or cold. A little bit of chicken, a lot of vegetables, and some chicken gravy - yum! My absolute favourite meat pie is tourtiere, a French Canadian ground pork pie that my mother makes at Christmas. Here are a couple of threads on tourtiere:

Tourtiere

Christmas en Croute, Fuel for the frozen north

[Domestic Goddess]

In the Philippines savory pies are called "Empanadas" which are really pocket pies. Empanadas can be made with chicken, beef or pork fillings. There are also curry fillings and even veggie ones made with cabbage and bean sprouts. The veggie empanadas are usually sold with a garlicky vinegar dip. If you want recipes, I can email them to you.