For some reason I seem to suddenly be craving the pies I used to eat unhealthy amounts of growing up in New Zealand. Of course when you say "Pie" in Switzerland everyone thinks of what I'd call a quiche! Chäschüechli... usw.

What I'd really like is a good recipe for pie filling... and I don't mean any of that fruity stuff... Mince Pie is NOT made of fruits! I want meaty, hearty, gravy-y(?) pie filling. I'm thinking mince (MEAT) pie... Mince and Cheese pie... Steak and Cheese pie (OMG!!!)... you get my drift. Kiwis in the forum will know it's the stuff we buy from school cafeteria lines... or at the local gas station...(Frozen supermarket pie is not quite as good though)

There's plenty of recipes floating around on the internet I know... but I haven't the patience to try them all out... I'd like one that's tried and true... Any suggestions?

How about this ?

Probably too far away, and too arty farty, but There's a Pie Shop in Zürich round the corner from Kafischnaps.

Looks spot on to me, I'm also missing a good bit of stodge in my diet.

Good man! Pop into Kafischnaps for an Appenzeller to aid the digestion. The pies might be smaller than they look.

Their pies are brilliant... and you don't actually have to brave the arty-farty factor (although am actually wondering where that comes in, never noticed it before...) - you can order off their website and get them shipped to you. Or get from Franky's cheese & more in Zug.

Pies for the world... yum!

jrspet, thanks for the vid, but that looks a lot like meatloaf to me... Though honestly I've never made or eaten meatloaf myself. Not my thing I guess.

Castro, those are exactly the kind of pies I'm craving... question is... do I crave them enough to go to Zürich for it?

the.frollein, I don't crave them enough to have them shipped over...

just as a tip (as i'm personally a chicken and mushroom pie person, being from south africa and all...) the best 'homeland' recipies would be from the local paper or mag that also publish cookbooks - in ZAR that is huisgenoot/you who has a website with tada recipies - so maybe try that for a search? just a suggestion - and i'm in the mood for spinach and feta muffins!!!

More fool you, you don't know what you're missing...

If you like cheese, you could petition GrumpyGrapefruit to do another cheese and beer tasting there and make an afternoon of it.

For me, it was the precision pastry. I wasn't putting down the quality. Quite the opposite. They didn't seem, well, stodgy enough. Although I haven't been there for more than a year.

My mother lives in Switzerland and misses the tinned Fray Bentos Pies.
I usually buy out Asda's shelf when they are a GB£1 each and bring them to Switzerland.

The pound must be weak, they are GB£2.85 at the moment.

All those steriods and hormones induced in that Brazillian beef in those pies (seems to be more and more gravy and less meat over the years); maybe that is the explanation for my mother's wierd behaviour.

I don't do meat / main dish type pies usually, I tend more toward baking desserts.

However!

I believe you can get a similar flavor with minimal effort (well, minimal in the kitchen anyhow ) by using some biscuits to form a top crust.

I saw Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits in the refrigerated department at Marktkauf at the Rhein Center yesterday.


So, the basic idea is to make a stew and then toss it into an oven-proof dish, smoosh the biscuits over top and bake until biscuits are done.

For stew, if you don't have a recipe you love, I'd suggest maybe cutting up a bit of beef into bite-sized bits and browning them with some onion. Add in some veggies (diced carrots and potatoes, some peas, whatever) and mushrooms and a packet of "hunter gravy" (Knorr has Jäger sauce I've seen at Denner and Coop) along with some water (instructions on packet) and maybe a bit of red wine. Cook down to reduce liquid "some."

Now you're good to put it in the oven... if you've got a well supplied (fancy ) kitchen with some Le Creuset you don't even have to switch dishes, just pop the biscuits on top and bake.


I'm pretty sure it isn't exactly like what you're looking for but the taste may be close enough to hit the spot.

I found the easiest way to make a pie was to get the Co-op Kuchenteig (in the blue wrapper, although if you're feeling extravagant, you can top it with the Blattenteig in the green wrapper, which is puff pastry) for the case. Then, buy some chicken pieces, fry them and make up a Knorr mushroon sauce packet mix. When the sauce is heated and the chikcen cooked, chuck it all in the pie case, top it and cook for 25 minutes at 200 degrees or so.
Worked for us. Even better when we'd been back to Blighty and bought tinned stewed steak to make steak pies.
Nyom nyom nyom.

However, Mrs Boris one day had an idea. It stared as a joke for a poster she said I should make for b3ta.com:



And we got a bit hungry and actually made it...



It was awesome.

Hmm... Pie filling really is just a very reduced stew isn't it? Why wasn't I smart enough to think of that?!

mmmm....Chicken and mushroom pie sounds pretty good too! And that Beef, Cheese and Bacon McPound Gainer Pie looks like an excellent idea!!!

Gotta go out and get me some pie dishes! Silly me... thinking of making all them pies and I don't even own a pie dish (or 6)!

I'm not a Ramsay fan, but his Claridges Chicken Pie recipe is damned good and relatively easy to make. PM me if you want details.

I am a huge pie fan and, if I say so myself ( my hubby, as usual, agrees too !) good at making them! Beef and ale, Steak and kidney, cheese, ham and potato etc.

The best cookery magazine bbc.goodfood .co.uk has all the pie recipes etc. you could possibly need, go on it asap to satisfy your pie cravings

I,m new kid in town, but if I could, I would start up a small business cooking hearty british food Sausage toad in the hole, mince and dumplings, roast beef and yorkshires and PIES. and my home made desserts which are delicious.

ps. your'e not pregnant are you???

Thanks! I'll get right on to it!
And no... I'm not pregnant... just recently watched an old episode of Anthony Bourdain's "A Cook's Tour" and he was eating pie...

EDIT to add: the website is i believe http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/

Bring back Georgie Pie, I say !!

Totally bring back Georgie Pie! Loved the place! Miss pies... *sigh* Need to book me a pie holiday!