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22-11-2015, 16:20
Visit The Pub Curmudgeon site (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-top-and-bottom-of-it.html)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxOJZkE99cA/VlH0ZG1bX1I/AAAAAAAAEUU/OGGzrXbpKyo/s320/pie_lid.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxOJZkE99cA/VlH0ZG1bX1I/AAAAAAAAEUU/OGGzrXbpKyo/s1600/pie_lid.jpg)
For many years, pubs have had items on their menus that are described as “pies”, but which in fact are stews or casseroles with a pastry lid. A growing number of people have been concerned that these dishes do not really qualify as pies. Indeed, a petition to Parliament (https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/64629) was created on the subject, which only fell because of the general election. Obviously this was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it’s clearly something that people have strong feelings about.
Make wrongly describing a casserole with a pastry lid as a pie a criminal offence.
For too long customers in pubs and restaurants have ordered what is described on the menu as a pie only to be served with casserole in a pot covered by a puff pastry lid. This is not a pie and is also curiously difficult to consume. A pie is defined by the OED as "A baked dish of fruit, or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry." This petition urges the implementation of criminal sanctions upon the owners of food outlets that serve items described as pies without a pastry base. Exemptions will apply for Shepherds, Cottage and Fish Pies.A week or so ago, there was an article on the Morning Advertiser website celebrating the rise of pie sales in pubs, on which I commented that the illustration wasn’t actually a pie (https://twitter.com/oldmudgie/status/665177120239443968). This reignited the debate on Twitter, with Boak & Bailey (http://boakandbailey.com/) pointing out that many of Mrs Beeton’s pie recipes did not specify a bottom layer of pastry Those layers of fowl, ham, forcemeat and hard-boiled eggs sound really appetising.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycItovluEf8/VlH0ldlnivI/AAAAAAAAEUY/JMi9X125Pjk/s320/mrsbeeton.png (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycItovluEf8/VlH0ldlnivI/AAAAAAAAEUY/JMi9X125Pjk/s1600/mrsbeeton.png)
So, in conjunction with Mark Wadsworth (http://markwadsworth.blogspot.co.uk/), I decided to create a poll on the subject. With an impressive 146 votes, the results show just over three-quarters in favour of the proposition that a pie needs a pastry base as well as a top, but on the other hand a significant minority taking the opposite view.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ArON-2TNw30/VlH0vQP9QiI/AAAAAAAAEUc/ILT82ARC_oE/s1600/pie_poll.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ArON-2TNw30/VlH0vQP9QiI/AAAAAAAAEUc/ILT82ARC_oE/s1600/pie_poll.jpg)
Personally, I’m not really bothered, as I don’t like “gravy pies” anyway, although I love a proper solid pork pie, preferably with jelly. But it obviously grinds many other people’s gears.
The original poll results can be seen here (http://poll.pollcode.com/29679577_result?v), which also shows some interesting comments.
More... (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-top-and-bottom-of-it.html)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxOJZkE99cA/VlH0ZG1bX1I/AAAAAAAAEUU/OGGzrXbpKyo/s320/pie_lid.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxOJZkE99cA/VlH0ZG1bX1I/AAAAAAAAEUU/OGGzrXbpKyo/s1600/pie_lid.jpg)
For many years, pubs have had items on their menus that are described as “pies”, but which in fact are stews or casseroles with a pastry lid. A growing number of people have been concerned that these dishes do not really qualify as pies. Indeed, a petition to Parliament (https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/64629) was created on the subject, which only fell because of the general election. Obviously this was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it’s clearly something that people have strong feelings about.
Make wrongly describing a casserole with a pastry lid as a pie a criminal offence.
For too long customers in pubs and restaurants have ordered what is described on the menu as a pie only to be served with casserole in a pot covered by a puff pastry lid. This is not a pie and is also curiously difficult to consume. A pie is defined by the OED as "A baked dish of fruit, or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry." This petition urges the implementation of criminal sanctions upon the owners of food outlets that serve items described as pies without a pastry base. Exemptions will apply for Shepherds, Cottage and Fish Pies.A week or so ago, there was an article on the Morning Advertiser website celebrating the rise of pie sales in pubs, on which I commented that the illustration wasn’t actually a pie (https://twitter.com/oldmudgie/status/665177120239443968). This reignited the debate on Twitter, with Boak & Bailey (http://boakandbailey.com/) pointing out that many of Mrs Beeton’s pie recipes did not specify a bottom layer of pastry Those layers of fowl, ham, forcemeat and hard-boiled eggs sound really appetising.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycItovluEf8/VlH0ldlnivI/AAAAAAAAEUY/JMi9X125Pjk/s320/mrsbeeton.png (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycItovluEf8/VlH0ldlnivI/AAAAAAAAEUY/JMi9X125Pjk/s1600/mrsbeeton.png)
So, in conjunction with Mark Wadsworth (http://markwadsworth.blogspot.co.uk/), I decided to create a poll on the subject. With an impressive 146 votes, the results show just over three-quarters in favour of the proposition that a pie needs a pastry base as well as a top, but on the other hand a significant minority taking the opposite view.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ArON-2TNw30/VlH0vQP9QiI/AAAAAAAAEUc/ILT82ARC_oE/s1600/pie_poll.jpg (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ArON-2TNw30/VlH0vQP9QiI/AAAAAAAAEUc/ILT82ARC_oE/s1600/pie_poll.jpg)
Personally, I’m not really bothered, as I don’t like “gravy pies” anyway, although I love a proper solid pork pie, preferably with jelly. But it obviously grinds many other people’s gears.
The original poll results can be seen here (http://poll.pollcode.com/29679577_result?v), which also shows some interesting comments.
More... (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-top-and-bottom-of-it.html)