Mum's Sausage & Onion Pie

method

I use a 20cm x 5cm deep round glass Pirex dish to make this pie and use parchment paper and uncooked rice to blind bake the base of the pie - we don't like soggy bottoms here!

Note: If you want to use shop bought, ready to roll pastry, make sure it is All butter pastry if it doesn't say all butter on the packet, don't buy it! Skip to No.8 on the list if you use shop bought

The pastry I make here is mouth wateringly crumbly, don't worry if it breaks when laying the base of the pastry into the dish, just patch it up by pressing bits of pastry into the broken gaps. No one will know when it's finished!

Tip: Make sure your hands are cold before you start rubbing the butter into the flour

Tip: Save the rice you used to blind bake the base, you can use this again and again

make the pastry

1. Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl
2. Add the cold cubes of butter
3. Rub the butter into the flour using finger tips
4. When you have a fine crumb, add the water
5. Mix the water into the crumb to form the pastry
6. Knead the dough lightly to form a ball
7. Wrap in plastic food film and refrigerate for 1/2 hr
8. Dust a wooden board or work surface with a little flour
9. Take 2/3 of the pastry to form a 4mm thick circle
10. Grease the pie dish all over with butter
11. Gently fold the pastry over a rolling pin
12. Lift the pastry onto the pie dish
13. Gently press the pastry into edges of the dish
14. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork
15. Put the parchment paper over the dish
16. Press the paper into the dish & fill with uncooked rice
17. Bake at 180c for 10 mins, center of the oven
18. Remove the parchment paper & rice
19. Put back in the oven for 10 mins more
20. Take the pastry out of the oven & allow to cool

Make the filling

1. Put the onion into a microwave proof dish
2. Sprinkle with the oil, salt & pepper
3. Mix well & microwave for 1 min
4. Half the patty meat & press into the pastry dish
5. Cover the meat with 1/2 of the onion slices
6. cover the onion with the rest of the meat
7. Cover the meat with the onion slices

finish the pie

1. Roll out the rest of the pastry into a 4 mm thick circle
2. Top the dish with the pastry
3. Press the pastry into the edges of the dish
4. Don't trim the pastry yet!
5. Bake in the oven at 180c for 1 hr
6. Take the pie out of the oven when golden brown
7. Trim the edges of the pastry with a sharp knife
8. Allow to cool enough to handle

9. Place a large plate on top of the of the pie
10. Turn the pie upside down
11. Gently coax the pie dish off the pie
12. Place another plate over the pie
13. Say a short prayer!
14. Holding both plates, turn the pie over

pie, mash & baked beans