Aussie Party Pies
Bite-sized Australian party pies, puff pastry pressed into a mini muffin tin for both the base and the lid rather than a shortcrust base like a full-size meat pie, since a shortcrust this small tears when pressed into tiny cups. Pulsing the cooled filling briefly to a finer, more spreadable texture is what lets it pack into the small cases without puncturing the thin puff pastry shell.
Prep45 min
Cook25 min
Rest60 min
Servings24
Christoph's Aussie party pies, puff pastry for both base and lid since a shortcrust this small tears when pressed into mini cups.
Ingredients
Written for a 5 cm round tin
Units
Temperature
Servings
Filling
- 30 ml neutral oil rounded
- 150 g onion, finely chopped rounded
- 600 g beef mince rounded
- 25 g flour rounded
- 20 g tomato paste rounded
- 30 ml Worcestershire sauce rounded
- 500 ml beef stock rounded
- to taste fine salt and black pepper rounded
Pastry
- 640 g puff pastry, ready-rolled, store-bought rounded
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash rounded
Method
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat. Brown the mince in two batches, breaking it up well, until deeply coloured. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Return the mince, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and stock.
- Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thick enough to hold a trail on the back of a spoon rather than running off it. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the filling on a tray and let it cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 30 minutes, until fully cold and firm.
- Pulse the cold filling briefly in a food processor, just 3 or 4 short pulses, until finer and more spreadable but not a paste. This keeps it from puncturing the thin puff pastry shells when pressed in.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan). Roll the puff pastry to about 3 mm thick. Cut 24 circles to line a mini muffin tin and 24 slightly smaller circles for lids.
- Press the larger circles into the tin, working them into the base and up the sides. Fill each with a heaped teaspoon of the pulsed filling.
- Top with the smaller circles, pressing the edges to seal. Brush with beaten egg and cut a small steam vent in each.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and deeply golden brown all over. Let cool for 5 minutes in the tin before turning out.
Notes
- Use puff pastry for both the base and the lid, not shortcrust. A shortcrust base this small tears and cracks when pressed into tiny cups; puff pastry is pliable enough to work into the corners and still bakes through in the short time these need.
- Pulse the filling before it goes in. Whole chunks of mince catch and tear the thin pastry as you press it into the cups; a briefly processed, finer filling packs in smoothly.
- Don’t overfill the cases. A heaped teaspoon is plenty; overfilled pies leak and the lids won’t seal properly.
- They freeze and reheat well. Freeze baked and cooled, then reheat from frozen at 180°C for about 12 minutes.
Ingredient substitutions
- Beef mince can be swapped for lamb mince.
- A pinch of curry powder stirred into the filling makes a curried version, also a party classic.
- Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.
From Christoph Mayer