The Search for Fish and Chips
and
Turkey, Bacon and Leek Pie
The search for Fish and Chips started just after a trip to the supermarket yesterday; having packed all the shopping away in the car, my dad suggested we popped in to the local chippie on the way home, my mum and I agreed with alacrity……and for me, it was to be my first fish and chips treat since I arrived in the UK. We pulled into the chippie car park, but something ominous was afoot though ~ the car park was empty and a desolate paper sign flapped against the door in the wind……it soon became apparent that there was to be no fish and chips as they were waiting for an engineer due to a problem with their power. We piled back into the car and remembered another good chip shop some eight miles down the road……off we set, tummies rumbling and visions of fish and chips running through our heads. Yes, there it was, the signs were out and the lights were on……..BUT, they were just closing and there was no fish left. Anxious discussions were held in the car about other places that may be able to provide us with Britain’s famous dish….but, it was now 3pm and we were in that “twilight” zone of being “between” frying sessions, most chippies close at 2pm and re-open at 4pm.
So, on finally getting home, we all fell into the kitchen and devoured leftovers from a buffet from the night before; instead of fish, we had tinned salmon sandwiches, and instead if chips, we broke into a bumper packet of crisps…..this was followed by cheese and crackers and a piece of cold steak and ale pie……slices of Christmas cake were enjoyed with a pot of tea ~ it wasn’t fish and chips, but it was wholly enjoyable and by that time we would have eaten a horse and gone back for the jockey…..
…………this little tale reminds me about the old opening times for Pubs; 11am until 1:30pm and then 6pm until 11:30pm……these opening hours have long since gone, so why do chippies still have archaic opening hours, for heaven’s sakes it was a FRIDAY……a traditional day for a plate of fish or in our case, a package of freshly fried fish in paper……and the moral of the tale, PLAN your fish and chip suppers carefully and in advance, OR cook them at home! Here is my recipe for Fish and Chips that I previously posted……
Leaping straight from fish dishes, here is my second leftovers recipe of the week; a post-Christmas or New Year pie……I LOVE pie, sweet pies or savoury pies, all pies ~ pies with short crust pastry and puff pastry……raised pies and mini hand pies, I LOVE them all. This is a wonderful pie full of festive flavours, an echo of fun and frivolity…..packed with tasty ingredients ~ turkey, bacon, sausages, stuffing, bread sauce, leeks and gravy…….all topped with a puff pastry lid. This was devoured by my husband and daughter, as well as myself of course! I served this with some Bubble and Squeak and it was a comforting and thrifty meal for all of us. The recipe, such as it is, is really just an assembly job with whatever you have to hand. I have just listed the ingredients that I had to hand when I made this pie, and it was a great combination……and the bread sauce was a wee culinary triumph we all thought ~ binding the filling together with flavour.
Here is my method for a tasty pie, use whatever leftovers you have to hand…….chicken and ham are obvious ingredient choices too……I hope you enjoy this recipe idea, and I’ll see you tomorrow with more musings and ramblings.
Karen
Turkey, Bacon and Leek Pie
INGREDIENTS:
Leftover turkey, brown and white meat, about 450g to 600g
Leftover bacon and sausage rolls (pigs in blankets),
about 6 to 8, chopped into small pieces
Leftover stuffing, chopped up roughly
Leftover bread sauce
Gravy, about 150ml
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Fresh leeks, cleaned and finely sliced
25g Butter
225g Ready-made rolled puff pastry
METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F.
Heat the butter in a frying pan, and add the leeks; sauté them for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft.
Add the leeks to the turkey, bacon and sausages; then add the bread sauce, stuffing and gravy and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the pie filling into an enamel pie dish and then top with a puff pastry lid. decorate with pastry trimmings if you have any and make several cuts in the pastry lid, see photos.
Put pie into pre-heated oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until pastry lid is puffed up and cooked, and filling is hot. Serve immediately with seasonal vegetables and potatoes. If you have any gravy left over, heat up and serve with the pie.
A Vintage Chic says
Looks so delicious, Karen! Love how you put those delicious things all together in a pie–perfect!
So glad you're having some time with your parents at home–that's just wonderful!
Wishing you a lovely weekend, my friend!
Julie
Prairie Rose says
You story reminds me of a similar story with a friend and I but replace the Chippie place with bakery.
I adore good fish and chips…I say good because here in America in a landlocked state…that isn't always something that a person can find.
However I have had them a couple of times in my life:)
The pie looks divine as well!
I will try that soon.
Have a great weekend, Friend:)
Marie says
I hate the archaic hours of our local chippie as well, but I guess it is just something we learn to live with and try to remember. We love pie in our house and often make leftovers into creatively delicious pies. It's the tastiest thing to do with them in my opinion. Yours looks fabulous! xxoo
Kate@whatkatebaked says
Ohh Karen! I really, really feel for you and your family in not being able to get your fish and chips, especially with tummy's rumbling and a hankering for what is surely Britain's best Takeaway?! Have a lovely weekend! Yummy looking pie too!
Thrifty Household says
Your post made me laugh- I've just got some ham, chicken & puff pastry out of the freezer to make a pie for tonight. There's also a leek from my Mum's garden that's going in too!
No fish & chips though…but now you mention it!
millefeuilles says
Pies, bubble and squeak… Lady Lavender and Lovage you are talking my language here!
Dear Karen, I am sending you many joyful wishes for a happy new year mixed with just the right combination of harmony and excitement.
Stephanie
Mum says
The pies look heap tasty. I love concocting with left-overs aswell. Waste not, want not and all that.
Love from Mum
xx
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
there's just too much fabulousness going on here… firstly let me just say that that pie looks INCREDIBLE… I want it NOW and i've just had lunch… I love the bacon but mostly I love the crust… divine… secondly, I took myself for a walk today and half way round I started thinking about what I was going to eat for dinner at the pub tonight and I settled on… you guessed it… fish and chips with mushy peas… i CANNOT wait!!!!!!! much love from 'the MOST handsome man you know'
Jamie says
Ah, the joy of living in Europe when food places close just when you need them and the craving hits. And hours are different from country to country so one can't even keep it all straight. And how did you know I've been craving a chicken or turkey pie topped with puff pastry? Seriously! Yours looks fabulous! Inspired!
Janice says
Sorry you didn't get your fish and chip treat Karen. Mind you I always think it sounds and smells better than it tastes from the chippie. Except of course when we went to Anstruther in the summer, they were fab.
The PIE is gorgeous, I would rather have that and iwth the bubbly squeek, divine.
Lauren says
Gorgeous pie! Yummy yummy. I can't believe you had such a hard time finding fish and chips–it wasn't like you were in Kansas or anything! 😉
Baking Addict says
It's a shame you didnt get your fish and chips but the alternative sounds good too. The pie now that is a different story… I was captivated from the first photo. I LOVE pie!! this sounds mouth wateringly delicious!! I think its time for my dinner but sadly it's not pie!
La Table De Nana says
Under a blanket of puff pastry..things seldom go wrong:)
Mother Rimmy says
The turkey and leek pie looks savory delicious!
Maya Russell says
LOVE that pie recipe. Just has to be one of my favourite things to eat – bacon, leek and turkey pie.
Fiona Matters says
Love the recipe – love the story. Puff pastry always makes me drool at the moment because it’s one of the very last things you can’t really get gluten free. I think that this post has just convinced me to try making my own puff pastry as my first act to christen my new kitchen at the weekend. So exciting! Shared on google+