It's British Pie Week - and what better way to celebrate than with a pie-based Fuel My Friday, courtesy of World Championships diver Ross Haslam.
Haslam is recently back from the FINA Grand Prix in Rostock, Germany, having won a bronze in the Men's 3m Springboard at the British Diving Championships earlier in the year.
As the Sheffield Diving athlete continues building for his next event, he has handed over one of his favourite pie recipes for an occasional out-of-competition treat. Over to you, Ross...
This is a "cheat day" option that I love!
The recipe includes instructions on how to make your own pastry for the pie, too. If you can't get hold of some bilberries, it works with blueberries too. Enjoy!
PASTRY
Ingredients
- 225g plain flour
- 100g butted
- Salt
Method
- Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter (diced) and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Add a pinch of salt and stir, then add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix until dough is formed.
- Pour some additional flour onto a clean surface and then knead the dough briefly and gently on the surface.
- Wrap in cling film and keep refrigerated until the pie filling is made.
FILLING
Ingredients
- 500g bilberries (or blueberries)
- 150g caster sugar
- 1 small egg (beaten)
- Lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)
- 2 tbsp cornflour
Method
- Preheat an oven to 190 degrees celsius (170 degrees fan).
- Combine the cornflour, bilberries/blueberries, caster sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix and then leave to stand for 15 minutes.
- Roll the pastry on the lightly-floured surface to a thickness of approximately 1cm. Line a ceramic pie tin with the pastry, cutting off any pastry overhanging the sides (of which there should be plenty). Gather that pastry into a ball, then roll out to 1cm thickness and leave to the side.
- Fill the pastry in the tin with the bilberry/blueberry mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry and lay over the top of the mixture.
- Seal and brush the exposed parts of pastry with the beaten egg.
- Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the filling is glazed and hot.
- Remove and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving, with cream if wanted.