Rudolph Pie Christmas Shepherds Pie Recipes

RUDOLPH'S PIE (SHEPHERD'S PIE)

Steps:

• Pour 500ml of near boiling water over the porcini mushrooms and leave to steep.
• Warm oil into very large thick bottomed pan and add the chopped onions, carrots and minced garlic.
• Cook, stirring for about 10 minutes.
• Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid.
• Chop coarsely and add with the button mushrooms to the vegetable mixture.
• After about 5 minutes tip the whole lot out to brown the meat.
• Add a little more oil to the pan, then tip in the minced meats, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.
• Stir for about 5 minutes until the rawness has left them a bit, and salt-unstintingly-and then return the vegetable mixture to the pan.
• Stir in flour and add the mushroom-soaking liquid, tinned tomatoes, diluted puree, Marsala and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce.
• Stir well, cover partly with a lid and reduce heat so that the mince bubbles gently, for about 40 minutes to an hour.
• Meanwhile boil the spuds in a large pan of salted water until half way done, add the parsnips.
• Boil until done, drain, allow to dry a bit.
• Warm the milk and melt the butter in the heat of the potato pan.
• Rice or mash the potatoes and parsnips straight into this.
• Grate in some fresh nutmeg and add salt to taste.
• Put the mince into a large dish approximately 37cm x 32cm, then dollop the potato mash on top.
• Spread to edges and make fork lines on top.
• Dot with butter and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce.
• Cook around 10 minutes in a 225C oven.
• You want the top golden.

GRASSHOPPER PIE

Steps:

• Set aside 1 cookie for later use. Process the remaining cookies and chocolate in a food processor until they form a crumb mixture. Add the butter and process until the mixture starts to clump together.
• Press the mixture into a high-sided fluted tart pan, making a smooth base and sides with your hands or the back of a spoon. Put it into the refrigerator to chill and harden.
• Melt the marshmallows in a saucepan over low gentle heat along with the milk. Once the milk starts to foam (not boil), take off the heat and keep stirring until the marshmallows blend into the milk to make a smooth mixture.
• Pour the mixture out of the saucepan into a heatproof bowl, then whisk in the creme de menthe and creme de cacao. Leave until cool.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the cream until it starts to hold soft peaks then, still whisking, add the cooled marshmallow mixture. This filling should be thick but still soft, not stiff or dry, so that it will eventually drop easily out of the bowl into the chilled pie crust.
• When the marshmallow mixture and cream are combined, whisk in a few drops of food coloring, if desired.
• Spread the filling into the chilled base, swirling it about with an icing spatula or silicone spatula to fill evenly. Put the pie in the refrigerator, covered, to chill overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours until firm.
• Crush the remaining cookie and sprinkle it over the top of the pie before serving.