ORIELLE BERRY
In my last recipe I extolled the virtues of ostrich meat (“Cottage pie with a difference,” Northern News, April 27) and in this sequel we continue in the same vein with another dish that can be made with ostrich mince, or, ostrich goulash.
Pies are a great way of preparing ahead and if you double this recipe you can freeze some of the pies for a (literally) rainy day or a busy week night when you want eat something healthy and just take it out of the deep freeze and heat it up.
It’s worth the effort to make your own pie pastry – it just tastes nicer and it’s healthier.
Ostrich pies with peas and sweetcorn
Pie pastry
(For about 10 medium-sized pies)
1 cup wholewheat flour
1 cup plain flour
¾ cup of olive oil or butter
¾ cup of yoghurt
1 egg beaten
1 tbs fresh chopped herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and make a well. Slowly add in the wet ingredients and mix until you get a dough. Add either flour or more liquid so it’s neither too sticky nor too dry.
On a large floured board, or a thoroughly cleaned floured counter top, roll out the dough until about one third of a centimetre thick. Using a saucer with about a 15cm diameter that has a fine edge, cut out circles and stack up.
Filling
500g ostrich mince or goulash
1 cup cooked and drained peas
1 cup sweetcorn
1 red pepper chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Handful chopped basil or parsley
2 tbs tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock or chicken stock
1 finely chopped small red chilli (if you like the heat; otherwise omit)
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute the onions and the garlic and add in the meat.
If you’re using mince, work it so that it’s not clumpy and if you’re using the goulash, seal it before browning it by coating in a little flour.
Let the meat brown and add in the tomato paste and then the other ingredients, adding in the herbs last.
Allow the meat to simmer until it reaches a rich consistency with a gravy-like liquid and the all the liquids have cooked through.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Take the pastry and fill about a third of each cut-out circle on one side with the meat mixture.
Fold each pie casing in half and dab the edges of each one with water so the halves stick together. Prick each one gently twice with a fork so the steam can escape.
Flour a flat oven dish. Place the pies on the dish and coat with a beaten egg mixture.
Bake in a high oven of about 180 deg C until each pie is a nice golden colour. Remove from the oven and serve with potato mash or salad or both.
