Day 150: pie i love

I love pie. I love every kind of pie (I think). My go to pub supper is steak and mushroom/kidney/onion/stout pie with chips and, if not petit pois, mushy peas - or some other overdone veg. I then douse the entire contents of my plate in vinegar, apply more gravy, mayo on the side, and then tuck in VERY happily, and greedily. I have equal love for the cold-serve pies too - pork/gala/game - eaten with Branston Pickle, English mustard or a sharp/fruity chutney. And the more jelly in those cold-serve pies the better!

Nigella’s Pizza Rustica caught my eye on Twitter (and Insta), when it featured as her #RecipeOfTheDay a few weeks ago, and I immediately made a note of it on my Must-Do Recipes During the Cookalong List; where it probably would have stayed for a a long while if it hadn’t been for culinary writer Jenny Linford, who suggested it when I asked (on Twitter and Insta) what your favourite picnic friendly Nigella recipes were (for inspiration for my Bank Holiday Monday picnic). I think a few of you actually mentioned this one - thank you to anyone who did!

Nigella’s Pizza Rustica

I spent the day rather hungover on Sunday, following Manchester Pride celebrations on Saturday, cooking for the picnic with Mum. I had already delegated the preparation of the Picnic Fried Chicken (more on this on Day 151) to her, and she also made the pastry for this - by hand as I don't have a food processor anymore. She does make very good pastry - mince pies to die for - so it made perfect sense. I was on chopping, frying and filling duty - my happy place!

After this photo I did wedge the cut slice back in, reassembled the spring form tin, and put it back in the oven to cook the base a little more; our oven runs a little on the cold side when it gets full, and there was already half a belly of pork in there!

Flavour Musings

Everything I love, in a pie. It’s basically a meat and cheese antipasto board filled into a buttery pastry case and baked. It’s just wonderful. Hot and cold! Another kind of pie to love!

Thanks Jenny, for the nudge - and Nigella, of course, for sharing the recipe!