Forfar Bridies

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick of Cape Town, South Africa for this classic
food funny:

A mother complained to her doctor about her daughter's strange
eating habits. "All day long she lies in bed and eats yeast and car
wax. What will happen to her?"

"Eventually" said the Doctor, "she will rise and shine!"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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I haven't done a regional theme in quite a while, and this time we
visit the land of my forefathers... well, my maternal grandmother,
actually. Here is a selection of authentic recipes for our week of
"Scottish Cookery":

Monday's Starter
Forfar Bridies

Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Partan Bree

Wednesday's Side Dish
Stovies

Thursday's Entree
Lamb Collops

Friday's Dessert
Clootie Dumpling

Meat pies are popular all over the British Isles, and this is how they
are made in the Scottish town of Forfar where they call their pies
"bridies." These are often served as a main dish or one-dish meal,
but here we make them smaller than usual to serve as an appetizer or
even as a cocktail snack. Unlike most meat pies, this filling is
added to the pastry raw, allowing the dough to absorb all the
cooking juices as it bakes.

Forfar Bridies

1 lb (450 g) beef steak such as rib eye, Porterhouse,
or sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm)
cubes
1 large onion, very finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) shredded beef suet (traditional) or
cold butter cut into small pieces
3 Tbs (45 ml) chopped chives
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pastry dough for 2 to 3 8-inch pie crusts, prepared
or your favorite recipe
1 egg beaten with
1 Tbs (15 ml) water

Combine the beef, onion, suet, chives, mustard, salt, and pepper in
a bowl and toss to combine. Cut 3- to 4-inch (7-10 cm) circles from
the pastry dough. Divide the beef mixture between the pastry
circles, placing it on one half of the center and leaving about 1/2
inch (1 cm) rim for sealing. Moisten the edges of the pastry dough
with a little water and fold the dough over the filling to make
semicircles. Crimp the edges attractively, brush with the egg
mixture, make a small hole in the top of each pie, and place on a
lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven
until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Serve hot or at room
temperature. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Mon Jun 6 06:28:55 2005