Cold Mutton Pie is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic pie made of layers of cold mutton, spices, potatoes, herbs and shallot in gravy that's topped with pastry before oven baking. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Cold Mutton Pie.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
MUTTON PIE (Cold Meat Cookery).
733. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of a cold leg, loin, or neck of mutton, pepper and salt to taste, 2 blades of pounded mace, 1 dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs; when liked, a little minced onion or shalot; 3 or 4 potatoes, 1 teacupful of gravy; crust.
Mode.—Cold mutton may be made into very good pies if well seasoned and mixed with a few herbs; if the leg is used, cut it into very thin slices; if the loin or neck, into thin cutlets. Place some at the bottom of the dish; season well with pepper, salt, mace, parsley, and herbs; then put a layer of potatoes sliced, then more mutton, and so on till the dish is full; add the gravy, cover with a crust, and bake for 1 hour.
Time.—1 hour.
Seasonable at any time.
Note.—The remains of an underdone leg of mutton may be converted into a very good family pudding, by cutting the meat into slices, and putting them into a basin lined with a suet crust. It should be seasoned well with pepper, salt, and minced shalot, covered with a crust, and boiled for about 3 hours.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
remains of a cold leg, loin or neck of mutton
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp ground mace
1 dessert spoon parsley, chopped
1 tsp savoury herbs, minced
1 tbsp shallot, minced
4 potatoes
250ml gravy savoury shortcrust pastry
Method:
Cut the leg into slices and the loin or leg into cutlets. Arrange a layer of these in the base of a pie dish and season well with salt, black pepper, mace, parsley, savoury herbs and shallot. Peel and slice the potatoes and arrange a layer over the meat. Now add a second layer of meat, seasonings and potatoes.
Pour in the gravy then roll out the pastry until slightly larger than the top of your dish. Cover the dish with the pastry and crimp firmly to the edges. Slash steam holes in the top of the pastry then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the filling is piping hot and the pastry is golden.
