The History of Pie
A British classic, the pie has long been a home cooking staple, with meat pies of all descriptions gracing our tables year round, from warm steak and kidney pies enjoyed during the winter season to cold pork pies served at picnics during the summer. A pie and mash is a classic dish and a favourite, with many regional variations, such as Stargazy pie or Scotch pie.
Defined as a dish that comprises a filling with pastry topping, which can also include pastry sides and a bottom, the pie can incorporate a range of ingredients from sweet fruit pies to a hearty meat pie.
Early History
The history of pie goes back thousands of years, and originated with the early Egyptians who made a sweet pie filled with honey. Later, the Romans adopted the pie and made it their own, using the pastry crust as a method to keep the juices and meat filling flavourful. Incredibly, the original version of the pie crust was not actually eaten, but was used as a method to preserve the filling. As the Roman Empire expanded, the pie was brought to evermore far-flung parts of the world and enjoyed with many of the modern versions of the dish coming from the infusion of local culture to the original Roman recipe.
When the Romans left Britain, pie stayed, and with time and experimentation throughout the centuries, evolved into the delicious treat we enjoy today. Used as a method of keeping meat and fruit preserved on long voyages, it was not until the medieval era that pie became a centrepiece, filled with a wide variety of fillings from live birds to swan. While pie is currently considered a dish for everyone, with people enjoying pie at football stadiums and restaurants alike, the dish was originally a rich man’s dish, as only the wealthy owned their own oven in which to cook the pie.
During the 16th century the pie crust became an edible part of the pie. This was an important step towards the creation of the recipes we know and love today; but the final and perhaps the most important innovation came when Elizabeth I was served the first sweet cherry pie, opening up a whole new world for pie chefs.
Types of Pie
With such a long history in the British Isles it comes as no surprise that there are thousands of pie variations and recipes that are popular throughout the country. Taking a while to make and cook, there are many regional pies that are baked to celebrate specific events and are cooked primarily in different parts of the UK. Here are a few fantastic pies to try:
Meat pudding is a British classic recipe made with a suet pie crust and a meat filling. The oldest known recipe was published by Ward, Locke and Tyler in Sussex in 1861. The soft suet pastry would be pressed into a mould along with the pie filling. The pie would then be steamed or boiled in the mould for up to two hours before serving. While the suet crust can be baked, it often loses much of its delicious flavour in the process. The most infamous version of this classic dish was the steak and kidney meat pudding that was nicknamed ‘kate and sydney pud’. While many now serve beef steak pie with a normal pie crust, here at Ian Chatfield Butchers & Deli we still use the traditional steamed suet crust that is a staple of many childhood memories.
Pork pie is a picnic and lunch staple around the world, but it originated in England. The humble pork pie consists of a golden brown pastry shell with crimped edges with a pork and pork jelly filling. Many pork pies have other ingredients, such as herbs and occasionally boiled eggs, added to the recipe to create new flavours. The modern incarnation of the pork pie didn’t come into being until the 18th century, with the most famous being the Melton Mowbray pork pie from Leicestershire.
The pasty is a British classic, found at bakeries and delis across the country. While the pasty has been a staple of the nobility since the 13th century it wasn’t until it became a staple of the Cornish mining community in the 17th century that the dish gained the renown that it has today. Created for miners to take with them as a hearty lunch to keep them going through a hard day, this dish is essentially a hand held pie. The Cornish pasty is traditionally made with pastry wrapped around ground meat and seasonings with a thick folded crust. However, as the pasty’s popularity spread, a range of different fillings were created, with curry, cheese or poultry and ham being popular options.
The Romans are thought to have introduced apples to Britain, the species having originated in Asia and cultivated across the Roman empire. The delicious fruit has been included in many dishes, including the famous apple pie. Apple pie is a delicious pudding that is enjoyed around the world. The apple pie is a warm winter and autumn classic, often served with custard, cream or ice cream. The first recorded apple pie was written about by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1381, the pie also including the ingredients raisins, figs and pears, as well as the hard and inedible pie crust.
Here at Ian Chatfield Butchers & Deli we offer a range of sweet and savoury pies for our customers to sample, as well as a range of meat cuts that will cook beautifully as a pie filling. To learn more about what we have to offer our customers, contact us here.
