Hairy Bikers Corned Beef and Onion Pie

Hairy Bikers corned beef and onion pie is proper old-fashioned comfort food, packed with corned beef, onion, potato, and carrot in rich shortcrust. It comes from their Mums Still Know Best book, and this corned beef pie serves 6 in about 90 minutes at 635 calories a slice.

Si and Dave call their pastry “rich, short and very tasty,” and it turns a humble filling into a proper pie. That filling is real store-cupboard cooking, since a tin of corned beef and a few veg make something cheap but properly comforting.

The one step not to rush is cooling the filling, because a hot filling would melt the pastry into a greasy mess. Give it twenty minutes to cool first, so the pastry stays crisp and short once the pie bakes.

Hairy Bikers Corned Beef and Onion Pie Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 20 minutesTotal time:1 hour 30 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:635 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Corned beef is broken through softened onion, carrot, celery, and potato with a squirt of ketchup, then left to cool. The filling is sealed inside rich homemade shortcrust, glazed with egg, and baked until deep golden and piping hot.

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 15g butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, sliced or chopped
• 2 celery sticks, trimmed, de-stringed and sliced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into roughly 1cm dice
• 300g potatoes, preferably Maris Pipers, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
• 1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 x 340g can corned beef
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Pastry

• 300g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• Good pinch of sea salt
• 175g cold butter, cubed
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Make the filling: Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until softened and starting to colour, keeping a little bite in the carrots.
2. Add the corned beef: Stir in the ketchup, then break the corned beef into chunky pieces and mix it through the vegetables. Season with pepper only, since the corned beef is salty, then leave to cool for 20 minutes.
3. Make the pastry: Blitz the flour, salt, and butter to breadcrumbs in a food processor, then whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water. Pour in most of it with the motor running, until the mixture forms a ball.
4. Line the dish: Roll out a third of the pastry and use it to line a 23cm pie plate, then brush the edge with the reserved egg.
5. Fill and top: Spoon in the cooled filling, then roll out the rest of the pastry and lay it over. Press the edges to seal and trim them neatly.
6. Glaze and bake: Brush the top with egg and cut a cross in the middle, then bake at 190°C for about 40 minutes until golden and piping hot.

FAQs

What pastry do you use for a corned beef pie?

The Hairy Bikers use a rich homemade shortcrust, made from 300g plain flour, 175g cold butter, and an egg. It bakes short and crisp, which holds the soft filling beautifully.

You can make this corned beef pie with ready made pastry to save time though, since a shop-bought block of shortcrust works perfectly, and puff makes a lighter, flakier top. For a fully puff-topped pie instead, their chicken and mushroom pie goes that route.

How long does a corned beef pie take to cook?

It bakes for about 40 minutes at 190°C, until the pastry is deep golden and the filling is piping hot. Because the filling is already cooked, you are really just baking the pastry and heating it through.

Keep an eye on the edges near the end, since shortcrust can catch and darken quickly once it colours.

Can you freeze corned beef pie, and how long does it keep?

Yes, it freezes really well, either baked and cooled or assembled raw and frozen before cooking. Wrap it tightly, then use it within about two months.

In the fridge it keeps for three days covered, and it is lovely cold, so leftovers are no hardship.

What goes well with a corned beef pie?

The book serves it hot with baked beans or a jug of gravy, which suits its old-fashioned, hearty style. And a pile of buttered greens or mushy peas works just as well on the side.

If you are after more British comfort food, their cottage pie brings the same beef-and-potato warmth, while their Lancashire hotpot is another proper old-school supper.

How many calories are in corned beef pie?

This one lands at around 635 calories a slice, cutting the pie into six. Most of that comes from the buttery shortcrust rather than the corned beef itself.

For a lighter plate, serve thinner slices with a big salad, though a proper wedge with beans is the honest way to eat it.