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Classic Meat Pie: Make a savory meat filling and encase it in flaky pastry for a traditional Aussie meat pie.

Introduction: The Classic Meat Pie

The classic meat pie is a staple in Australian cuisine – a savory pastry filled with meat and vegetables, often enjoyed as a quick snack or a hearty meal. This beloved dish can be found at cafes, bakeries, and even sports stadiums throughout Australia, and has become a favorite among locals and tourists alike. Making a homemade meat pie is a great way to enjoy this iconic Australian dish, and with a little practice, it’s easy to recreate the delicious flavors and textures of a classic meat pie at home.

Crafting a Savory Meat Filling

The filling is the heart of any good meat pie, and there are countless variations to suit different tastes. A classic meat pie filling typically consists of ground beef or lamb, onions, carrots, and peas, cooked in a flavorful sauce. To make the filling, start by browning the meat in a large pan, then add diced onions and cook until they are soft and translucent. Next, add diced carrots and cook until they are slightly softened, then stir in frozen peas and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Season with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices, then simmer the mixture until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

For a more adventurous filling, try adding diced potatoes, mushrooms, or even bacon bits. You can also experiment with different seasonings such as Worcestershire sauce, mustard, or curry powder to add depth and complexity to the filling. Once you’ve perfected your meat filling, it’s time to encase it in flaky pastry.

Encasing the Filling in Flaky Pastry

The key to a perfect meat pie is the pastry – it should be buttery, flaky, and able to hold the filling without getting soggy. You can use store-bought puff pastry or make your own from scratch using a recipe that combines flour, salt, butter, and water. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it is thin and flat, then cut it into rounds or squares using a cookie cutter or a knife. Spoon the meat filling onto one half of each pastry shape, leaving a small border around the edges. Brush the edges with beaten egg, then fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges and create a decorative pattern.

Brush the tops of the pies with more beaten egg, then bake them in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and flaky. Serve the meat pies hot, with a dollop of ketchup or barbecue sauce if desired. With a little effort and a lot of love, you can create a delicious and satisfying classic meat pie that will transport your taste buds to the heart of Australia.

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Food

Summer Savory: Cultivation, Use and Effect

You can easily plant savory in your garden or on the balcony. The kitchen herb is very aromatic and impresses with its intense smell. Here you can find out what you have to consider when growing and using savory.

Savory and its effects

The genus of savory herbs includes about 40 different species. They all belong to the mint family. The best known are summer savory (Satureja hortensis) and winter savory

Savory is rich in valuable ingredients, including:
essential oils
tannins
flavonoids
The substances are said to have a positive effect on digestion, which is why savory is traditionally used to flavor foods that are difficult to digest. Although the herb is rarely used as a medicinal plant today, it has many positive effects on the body. As a 2018 study on summer savory shows, the plant’s properties include:
antibacterial
antioxidant
anti-cancerous
antiparasitic

savory in your garden

Summer savory is an annual plant that reaches a height of about 55 centimeters. The more robust mountain savory is hardy and can become biennial or perennial. It grows up to 70 centimeters. The plants bloom from July to October. The scent of the flowers attracts bees

If you want to enjoy the intense savory for longer, you should opt for the perennial winter savory. Otherwise, the cultivation of both varieties is very similar.

Location:
Savory needs a light and warm location.
The soil should be water-permeable and slightly calcareous. Savory is sensitive to waterlogging. If the soil is clay-like and firm, you should loosen it up with some sand first.
You can grow both summer and winter savory in the garden or in a pot. Make sure the pot is big enough for the herb.
Sowing:
Savory belongs to the light germs. The seed therefore needs a bright place to germinate. The windowsill is ideal.
From April you can start seedlings indoors. To do this, press the seeds lightly onto the potting soil so that they get enough light.
From the end of May you can also sow savory directly outside. Here, too, it is sufficient to press the seeds slightly into the soil. They should not be completely covered.
Make sure that the distance between the individual plants is at least 20 centimeters. Savory grows voluminously and needs enough space to thrive.
Alternatively, you can also buy cuttings.
Care:
Savory is used to nutrient-poor soils. That’s why you should only fertilize the soil with organic fertilizer once a year in the spring
It is advisable to occasionally enrich the soil with lime.
Summer savory requires little water and can withstand longer periods of drought. You should definitely not water the plants too much. It is best not to water savory until the soil is two centimeters dry.
Put perennial savory in pots indoors in a cool room in winter.
It is best to prune perennial savory in spring to encourage bushy growth.
Harvest:
In principle, you can harvest savory all year round. However, the intensity varies. Young shoots are significantly milder, while the older ones, especially perennial winter savory, are very tart.
The taste of the herb is most intense just before flowering. This starts between July and August, depending on the weather conditions.
Since the flowers are also edible, you can also harvest and use savory while it is in bloom.
Simply trim the branches with secateurs as needed.

Storing savory: this is how it works

You can process savory fresh immediately after harvesting. If the harvest is particularly plentiful, it is advisable to preserve the herb.

Unlike many other herbs, savory doesn’t lose its flavor when you dry the plant. On the contrary, properly dried, the taste can even be intensified.

You can pull the annual summer savory completely out of the ground and hang it with a thread in a shady place to dry

For winter savory, use only the young sprouts to dry while leaving the older, woody ones. Tie the shoots together with string and hang them in a shady, dry place. You should avoid direct sunlight during this phase

When the savory has finished drying, the leaves can be easily removed from the stem and you can fill them into a screw-top jar. You should store savory in a dark and dry place

Alternatively, you can freeze savory. Wash the herb thoroughly and then pat it dry. You can pack the whole sprouts in a jar or cotton bag to avoid plastic waste and freeze the herb that way.

How to use savory in the kitchen

Savory is particularly popular in French cuisine. No wonder: the herb is versatile and goes well with countless dishes.

The name is program. Hardly any herb harmonizes so well with beans. Whether with bean salad or a fresh bean pan, savory is guaranteed to go well.
The herb is particularly suitable for various potato dishes, from wedges to potato gratin or a classic potato soup.
You can also refine cabbage dishes or legumes such as peas or lentils with savory. Its digestive action is an added benefit.
Savory is an excellent ingredient for homemade herb butter or herb quark
Traditionally, meat dishes such as lamb or fish dishes are also seasoned with savory.
Savory has a very intense taste. Therefore, you should use it sparingly and taste it. So that the taste is not lost, you should not cook the kitchen herb for too long. The taste of savory harmonises with various Mediterranean herbs such as thyme, sage or rosemary.

In the kitchen, summer savory is more often used. Although in principle both types are suitable for this. The winter savory tastes a little more intense and is therefore used more as a tea. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is ideal as a home remedy for coughs.

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Pajeon: Recipe for the Savory Korean Pancakes

Korean pajeon are savory pancakes with spring onions and are popular as a side dish in Korea. Here you will find a vegan and gluten-free recipe for the crispy vegetable pancakes.

The Korean name Pajeon is composed of Pa, which means “spring onion” in Korean, and Jeon, which means pancake. The crispy pancakes are both vegan and gluten-free and are usually served as an accompaniment to vegetables and tofu. But Pajeon are also very suitable as a hearty snack between meals.

When buying the ingredients for the Pajeon, make sure that they are organic if possible. In this way you support ecologically more sustainable agriculture that treats the earth’s natural resources with care. Products with the organic seals from Demeter, Bioland and Naturland are particularly recommended. These seals specify stricter criteria than, for example, the EU organic seal.

Pajeon: Savory pancakes with spring onions

Ingredients:

1 bunch spring onions
3 cloves garlic
80 grice flour
40 gbuckwheat flour
25 g cornstarch
0.5 tsp salt
1 pinch(s) of Kala Namak
160 ml water
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Directions:

Cut the spring onions into fine rings. Chop the garlic.
Combine the rice flour, buckwheat flour, cornstarch, salt, and kala namak in a medium bowl.
Then add the water, canola oil, and soy sauce. Mix everything with a whisk to form a smooth batter. Fold in the spring onions and garlic.
Heat the coconut oil in a pan and fry the pajeon on both sides until golden brown. Complete!

Korean Pajeon: Possible Variations

You can easily modify the Pajeon. They are also good for using up leftover vegetables, for example, and thus avoiding food waste. Simply cut carrots, zucchini and/or peppers into fine pieces and mix them with the pancake batter before frying.

You can also add dried chili flakes to the Pajeon batter for even more flavor.

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