by Jamison Godfrey •
I think most people have encountered a scallop pie from their favourite bakery, loaded with scallops and chunky vegies in them.
Here is a version of my own for you to try yourself. The pastry is short though, which isn’t flaky like some but fits the pie nicely. It will be hard to find any Tassie scallops at this time of year, as we didn’t have a particularly good season but am sure you can find another source as the months cool down.
Ingredients (8 Pies)
Pastry
500g plain flour
300g salted butter diced small
100ml cold water
Filling
1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil for sautéing
2 celery sticks diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 onion peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
650g Tasmanian scallops
2 tablespoons of good quality curry powder
500ml milk
125g plain flour
125g salted butter melted
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg beaten
Sesame seeds for pie tops
Method
To make the pastry, place the flour and diced butter into a mixing bowl and rub between your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, or use a kitchen mixer with the beater attachment if you have one. Then add the cold water and form into a smooth dough, cover with plastic wrap and rest while the filling is prepared.
Heat a decent-sized saucepan and add the butter and oil then sauté the celery, carrots, onion and garlic until they soften slightly. Now add the scallops and combine well for a few minutes.
Add the curry powder, stir thoroughly and cook for a good five minutes.
Add the milk and bring to the simmer and cook until the vegetables become soft.
Add the melted butter and flour together (beurre manie) and add to the curry. Stir thoroughly and cook the mixture out until it becomes thick without catching on the bottom of the saucepan. Season and taste and cool before filling the pie cases.
Flour your work bench and cut off enough pastry to fill the first pie case. Dust with more flour and roll out to 3mm thick, cut out with a cutter or bowl for a guide, line the greased pie dish and push in with your fingers. Repeat this for the remaining dishes.
Fill each pie case with the chilled filling to the top but don’t over fill.
Roll out more pastry to the same thickness and with a cutter, cut the pastry the same width as the top of your pie dish.
Brush the overhanging pastry on the pie dish with a little water and stick each lid down pushing with your fingers then cut the remaining pastry off around the edges. Make a small hole in the centre of the pie for the steam to escape and brush with some egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds to finish.
Bake at 190°C for 40 minutes or until golden, and serve hot with some chutney or homemade sauce.
This recipe is from award winning chef Jamison Godfrey of the Drunken Admiral restaurant in Hobart, Tasmania. If you’re ever in Hobart we highly recommend visiting the Drunken Admiral and sampling their delicious menu of seasonal, local produce for yourself.
More info: www.drunkenadmiral.com.au
