Pies the Limit
Photo © Rob Jones
As an aficionado of the art form that is ‘The Pie’ I couldn’t let British Pie Week pass without comment.
It started yesterday and lasts until the 12th March.
A reminder of the ‘rules:’
A pie is ‘a filling that is completely surrounded by pastry and baked’. So, you can’t include casseroles with a puff pastry lid, or Shepherd’s Pies or Fish Pies.
Ah, but what about Pasties? Discuss ….
Some claim that we gave pies to the world …. but I think that may be debatable.
Certainly the Egyptians and Romans had pie-ish dishes.
But they don’t crop up in history properly until Chaucer who described as Apple Pie back in 1381.
And early recipe book - produced by the Chefs of King Richard II - had all manner of pies, including something very close to a Pork Pie.
Scandal of scandals, the actual outer casing was often discarded, and diners simply ate the filling inside.
The week culminates with the British Pie Awards.
Perhaps as a sign of my deep emotional connection with pies - the last time I had a Pork Pie, I was travelling through Leicestershire on a train … and as I raised it to my lips, the train pulled into the station where I saw this ….
Photo © Rob Jones
Now … that’s a sign … clearly.
R
