For some time I had been on a quest for a pie funnel, and when we were in Scotland last year, I found this one, in the shape of a singing blackbird, (based presumably on the nursery rhyme Sing a song of sixpence). So when we made steak pie the other evening I decided to try the funnel to hold up the pastry. As a first attempt
you can see this was a disaster, the result of cutting too large a hole for the funnel, and consequently allowing the pastry to slide into the stew. Any thought of having another attempt has been shattered, by the hasty and careless removal of the bird resulting in it taking a rapid downward trajectory onto the kitchen floor, and smashing into about five million pieces. Bye, bye blackbird indeed.
12 comments:
Oh no! That's too bad that your bird got smashed. I have one just like it. I think mine is old because my mother in law gave it to me out of her cupboard. I've only used it once, but I squished it into the top of a fruit pie after the pastry was on. It worked fine.
Yes, mine did have short life. I think I should have let the pastry hang from it, (in the centre), but I'm sure part of the problem is that I wasn't using a proper pastry/pie dish, upon which to firmly fix the outer perimeter of the pastry. Anyway, we shall revert to the previous method, which is to cook the pastry on a baking sheet; worked perfectly...best not to fix something if it ain't broke, (and I don't mean the bird).
Bummer. I think you lay the pastry over it and let its little head poke through.
Yes, I think you're right, but I'm not going to know with that blackbird!
This appears to be the type of disaster that is all too frequent when I take over Kitchen Duty at Darlington House. That's why when I do so I concentrate on roasting, sauteeing, grilling, steaming, and boiling. Note: baking almost entirely absent from that list... Reggie
I'm sure you're right about crimping the edges. And the problem with that blackbird as a pie funnel is that it doesn't have particularly broad shoulders, so it's easy for the center to slip down. Ideally, one would want something like this:
http://iweb.cooking.com/images/products/enlarge/148126e.jpg
P.S. Now that I have a better idea what you're eating, I see why you swim so much!
RD - well we do mostly have success, but I am quite prepared to reveal that sometimes not all goes according to plan. In this particular incident I did not have pastry duty, nor was I responsible for the removal of the birdie...which leaves just one other person.
Ancient - yes you're right, the blackbird design was a bit of a gimmick, and quite ineffective, and I was looking for the sort you linked. So really just as well it was disposed of, and I can now search for the type you have suggested.
I have been losing weight, so the occasional indulgence with pastry is allowed. In this case actually we only ate about half, (which was salvageable - literally), and the leftovers made a rather good soup, the beneficiary of a bottle of shiraz.
Hi Columnist,
as usual I'm off topic.
I took a small painting into John Moran's to get their opinion. While there, they were kind enough to let me "run amok" and check out all the paintings they have gathered for their October paintings sale to date. There are some amazing works, including a John Singer Sargeant landscape..........I believe the sale is mostly American painters.
Never off topic on this subject for me! Thanks for the heads up. I'll have a gander.
Oh you made a steak pie - that's a big family favourite in our house, we always argue over who seems to be getting the lion's share of the 'paste' - I have no idea why we call it paste and not pastry.
Interesting - I have never heard it called paste. I think the bin got the lion's share on this occasion!
Another false dawn at SW19, sadly, although it was exciting tennis. As AM said "I'm getting closer". Ah well, there's always the Olympics for the Brits to shine...
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