A fried egg really does hit the spot. Here, we have them jazzed up a little on a bed of creamy spinach with a kick of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt, providing both the perfect pinch of seasoning and kick (not to mention the beauty of those crystals with flecks of chilli flake beauty!)
This is a simpler and lighter version to a classic “creamed spinach”, but it still hits that same comfort need for a very delicious brunch.
Here is how to make creamed spinach with chilli fried egg on toast
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive in a large pan over a low-medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until and fragrant and lightly toasted.
Add the spinach with a splash of water and allow to wilt down for roughly 5 mins, stirring often (you may need to do this in batches). Then, add the Greek yogurt, pinch of salt and parmesan and stir to combine. Allow this to simmer while you fry the eggs
Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to low then crack in the eggs, sprinkle with a pinch of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and cook for 3 minutes.
Toast your bread. Spoon over the creamy spinach, top with a fried egg and finish with extra parmesan, if you fancy.
Kitty wrote this recipe a long time ago, and it comes out a lot for birthdays and dinners because it’s pretty foolproof. You can easily swap round the types of sugar and use more caster (superfine) sugar than light brown soft sugar if that’s what you have, or use all one type.
How to make flourless chocolate cake
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (375°F). Grease and line a 23 cm (9 inch) cake tin (pan) with baking parchment.
Combine the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan containing 4 cm (1½ inches) of barely simmering water. Make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir until just melted, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Once cooled a little, whisk in the light brown soft sugar, then the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the ground almonds and salt. If the chocolate splits, don’t worry! Stir in 1 teaspoon boiling water at a time until you have a smooth, silky mixture.
Using a stand mixer or hand-held electric whisk, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then gradually add the caster sugar, whisking until the egg whites form soft peaks, like a very light meringue.
Very carefully fold the meringue mixture into the chocolate, working delicately with a spatula or metal spoon until it’s all evenly combined.
Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared tin, making sure not to knock out the air. Sprinkle over a little more flaky salt, then bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes. The middle should be a little gooey and the surface a bit cracked.
For the tahini cream, lightly whisk the cream in a large bowl until you have very light peaks. Stir in the tahini and give a few more whisks. Set aside while the cake bakes.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool. It’ll dip a little when it cools. Slice and serve with a dollop of the tahini cream and fresh berries, if using.
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Make More With Less by Kitty Coles (Hardie Grant, £22), Photography by Issy Croker.
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This dish celebrates the simple – the simplicity of Spring – flavours and ingredients that are light, fresh and a little bit zingy. This is more of a concept than a strict recipe – heavily inspired by @anchovytrevor – but that’s the beauty of using minimal but great ingredients that sing well together. What I love about new Maldon Garlic Sea Salt is the addition of wild garlic! Not only do the little flecks look BEAUTIFUL alongside the salty pyramids we all know and love, but it adds a real depth to the garlicky flavour, contrasting oh so beautifully with the creamy, lemony ricotta and sweet peas.
Hannah Wilding
Here is how to make the recipe
Blanch the peas in a pan of boiling salted water for just a couple minutes until tender.
To a mixing bowl, add the ricotta, zest of the whole lemon and a good pinch of Maldon Garlic Sea Salt and whip to a soft and pillow consistency.
Toast your bread. Slather the whipped ricotta onto the toast and tumble over the peas. Finish with a good drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cracked black pepper.
Blend bread to a crumb-like texture. Toast in the pan over high heat for a few minutes, then add olive oil to coat the breadcrumbs, dried parsley and a generous pinch of Maldon Garlic Sea Salt.
Cook in the pan, occasionally tossing, for 3-5 minutes. Serve right away or store in a vacuum-sealed container and keep in your freezer – just re-heat to serve.
Perfect on any dish especially over some creamy pasta – fantastic flavour at your fingertips!
Light, fluffy and FULL of flavour! This recipe was created by Lara Green, who adds a delicious twist to a sourdough focaccia with Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt to impress your guests. It pairs perfectly with dips, pasta and antipasti, where the hints of chilli and garlic elevate it from ‘fluffy’ to fantastic.
Cold proofing overnight in the fridge makes for an extra soft, pillowy focaccia with the most delicious golden crust.
How to make chilli and garlic sourdough focaccia
Place the warm water into a bowl with the levain/sourdough starter and honey and whisk to combine. Add the flours and stir until no dry bits remain. Put a towel over the bowl and place somewhere warm.
30 minutes later, add both the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt, using your fingers to pinch them into the dough. Cover the bowl with the tea towel and place back in the warm spot.
30 minutes later, perform your first set of stretch and folds: starting from the furthest edge, pull and stretch the dough up and then fold it down over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat until you have completed four stretch and folds. Set your timer for three additional sets of folds – spaced half an hour apart, leaving the covered dough to rest after each set.
Using 2 tbsp of the oil, generously grease and line a 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, then place more oil on top of the paper. Transfer the focaccia dough to the baking dish, cover and place back in the warm spot for another 1-2 hours. Then cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
The following morning, remove the focaccia from the fridge and place in the warm spot to bring it back to room temperature. You’ll know when it’s ready as the dough will have noticeably risen and look soft and pillowy on the surface (around 3-4 hours).
Preheat the oven to 215C.
Remove the cling film from the baking pan and with wet hands, massage the dough to create dimples in the surface of the focaccia. Drizzle with the remaining tbsp of oil and scatter with a pinch of both the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the pan and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown on the surface and light and crispy on the base and edges. Allow to cool thoroughly before cutting into slices.
*If using Instant Yeast instead of a sourdough starter, simply add the yeast with the flour and mix to combine. Follow the same sequence of steps above.
Measure the milk into a small pan and gently warm over a low heat. Once it is warm but not boiling, remove from the heat and add the butter, allowing it to melt in. Set aside.
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, Maldon Sea Salt flakes, spices, and orange zest into the bowl of your stand mixer. Make a well in the middle and pour in the warm milk and butter mixture. Then pour in the 2 beaten eggs. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to bring this together to a sticky dough. Then add the dough hook attachment and knead for 5 – 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm, then leave in a warm place for it to double in size. This will take approximately 1 hour.
Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
After an hour, take the dough use your hands to knock the air out. Tip it back into your stand mixer and add the dried fruit, then use the dough hook to knead and distribute evenly throughout the dough.
Shape into a smooth loaf and then place into the prepared loaf tin. Cover loosely with clingfilm and then set aside for 45 minutes to rise again.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Prepare the cross by mixing the plain flour and water until you have a smooth paste. Put this into a piping bag and snip off the end. After the dough has proved, carefully pipe a cross on the top and then place into the oven for 35 – 40 minutes.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and onto a wire rack. Brush with the melted apricot jam glaze. Cool in the tin before removing, slicing, and serving toasted with plenty of butter and a sprinkle of Maldon Sea Salt.
Let’s be honest, how many times have you seen a blog that claims to have the ‘best’ chocolate cake recipe? We’ve seen dozens upon dozens, and although we have tried (and eaten) many throughout the years, yet none have itched that truly rich, decadent, chocolaty scratch that we all crave deep down.
That is until we got our aprons on and got busy in the kitchen, where upon test after test, we eventually itched that scratch…the ULTIMATE chocolate cake was created!
Our chocolate tahini cake is dangerously delicious, with moist chocolate buttercream layers in between tall, fluffy and soft chocolate sponge cake. It’s then coated in the remaining buttercream to pack everything together, sealing in the rich, decadent goodness of every chocolate lover’s dream.
Including tahini within the mixture causes the cake to have a beautiful, nutty, sweet and sesame like taste to it, allowing the texture to be fudgy, smooth and buttery.
When was chocolate cake invented?
Speaking of chocolate, have you ever wondered where chocolate cake came from? Between 1764 – 1765, John Hannon and Dr. James Baker worked together to make cocoa powder from grinding cocoa beans between two massive circular millstones. From this, chocolate candy was invented and then shortly afterwards milk chocolate arrived in 1876. It wasn’t until 1886 when American cooks began adding cocoa powder to cake batter, making the first chocolate cakes!
What is Tahini?
If you haven’t tried tahini, it’s a thick paste made from ground sesame seeds, commonly used in Middle Eastern dishes like hummus! Tahini is what gives dishes like hummus that beautiful nutty flavour, causing the texture to be creamy.
Why should you use tahini in baking?
Tahini paste is a great addition when baking as it balances out the sweetness – just like sea salt does! It pairs beautifully with chocolate and coffee aromas too! Because of it’s creamy texture and healthy fat content, it binds easily with the other ingredients, making the overall texture fudgy and rich.
Because tahini mixes better with ingredients that have similar textures and fat contents, it works perfect in a buttercream, made with softened butter and cream cheese! Adding tahini in your buttercream will result in a delicious smooth frosting, with added depth to the overall flavour.
How do you make chocolate tahini sponge cake
Grease and line 3x 20cm baking tins with greaseproof paper.
Preheat the oven to 180c.
In a large mixing bowl sift in the plain flour. Next add the golden caster sugar, soft brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and Maldon sea salt. Mix the dry ingredients together, and then make a well in the middle.
In a separate bowl mix your wet ingredients – the eggs, buttermilk, tahini, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk this together, and when it is fully incorporated pour it into the well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Use the KitchenAid Stand Mixer to combine altogether, until you have a smooth batter (but be careful not to overmix). Then pour the mixture evenly between the 3x cake tins. Place them on a shelf in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Check they are fully cooked through by inserting a skewer or cocktail stick in the middle of the sponge and ensuring it comes out clean.
Set the cakes on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
How to make chocolate buttercream
While the cakes are cooling you can make the chocolate buttercream. In the stand mixer bowl, beat the butter until it is fully softened and smooth. In a separate bowl sift the icing sugar and the cocoa powder. Slowly add the icing sugar and cocoa powder to the butter mixture in spoonful’s, beating each addition in before adding the next (so you don’t create a sugar dust cloud!).
Continue until you have added all the icing sugar and cocoa powder, and the mixture is thick and smooth. Finally add the melted and cooled chocolate, along with the whole milk, and beat this through to create a silky smooth and chocolatey buttercream.
Once the sponge layers have fully cooled you can assemble your cake. Spread a little buttercream onto the base of the cake stand or board in the centre, then place the first sponge on top of this. The buttercream will help it stick in place. Spread some of the buttercream all over the top of this cake, and then sandwich the second sponge on top, pressing down gently. Repeat this with the final sponge. Now you want to use the remaining buttercream to smooth all around the sides of the cake and on the top. Using a palette knife or cake scraper can help you achieve a smooth finish.
How to decorate a chocolate cake
When decorating the chocolate cake, we chose some edible flowers and coloured Easter chocolate eggs – but you can decorate however you wish! Don’t forget to do a final sprinkle of Maldon Sea Salt flakes on top – it works perfectly with the rich chocolate as it elevates the sweetness and counteracts the bitterness from the cocoa.
What is a good substitute for tahini?
There are many substitute options for tahini if you are struggling to find it in the local grocery shop! Because tahini is a sesame seed paste, try using a nut butter instead. We recommend an almond butter as it’s very similar in both texture, flavour and colour! Other nut butters you could use instead could be: cashew or macadamia nut butter. Both have the same creamy richness and nutty flavour that you get from tahini.
Alternatively, some people may use Greek yogurt instead of tahini as it lends itself a creamy, but thinner consistency. Because of it’s slightly thinner texture, you may need to adjust the ratio to the other ingredients.
Can you freeze chocolate cake?
Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap it in clingfilm tightly. The tighter the better, as it seals in the freshness of the cakes and avoids it from getting freezer burn. Wrap the cake in a layer of aluminium foil for extra protection.
For best taste and texture, you shouldn’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months, but the sooner you can serve it, the fresher it taste!
When thawing cakes, transfer the wrapped cakes to the refrigerator one day before decorating or serving. The cakes take at least 8 hours to thaw completely in the refrigerator. You can thaw them in toom temperature, but the flavour and texture is best one thawed slowly in the refrigerator.
What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than by spoiling your mum or motherly figure in your life with a delicious breakfast in bed!
Start their day with a heavenly treat: Caramelised banana French toast topped with a luscious caramel sauce infused with Maldon Sea Salt flakes.
Maldon Salt’s delicate sea salt flakes dissolve seamlessly into the caramel, adding a rich sweetness with a subtle hint of savoury complexity with every bite.
Slice the brioche bread into 3 thick slices (roughly 3cm thick)
Whisk together eggs, milk, double cream, vanilla, and cinnamon till combined.
Dip the brioche toast for 15 seconds on each side (do not leave it for too long otherwise it will fall apart)
Heat a pan and add a knob of butter, once the butter is melted place the brioche toast and leave to cook till lightly golden on each side then remove and set aside.
How to make caramel sauce:
To make the caramel, place the sugar and water in a pan and cook till the sugar burns and turns into a caramel colour then take off heat and add in the double cream.
Stir then add the butter
Assembling your French toast:
Slice the banana and dip one side into light brown sugar.
Using a blow torch, torch the sugar till caramelised.
Assemble the French toast on top of each other, top with the caramelised banana, pour the caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with Maldon Sea Salt flakes.
Lightly griddled broccoli wedges with a delicious Romesco sauce is the perfect side dish for your springtime banquet. The combination of sweet and slightly acidic with the smoky red pepper Romesco sauce pairs beautifully with the charred broccoli, a flavour profile that will certainly impress your dinner guests.
Broccoli contains compounds that some people may consider bitter. However, gently griddling your broccoli will allow a delicious earthy, almost sweet taste to rise. It also brings out many nutrients, including a wide array of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
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What is Romesco sauce?
Romesco sauce is a rich Spanish sauce comprising of roasted red peppers, which are pureed and thickened with toasted almonds and sometimes pieces of bread.
The origin of the sauce dates back to the 18th century, where fishermen were believed to have made the sauce to eat with their rather bland meals, whilst catching their fish off the coast of Catalonia, Northwest Spain.
The taste of Romesco sauce is lightly sweet and tangy in flavour, with a delicious hint of garlic and smoky flavours and a touch of spice. As the sauce is a classic Mediterranean condiment, it’s the perfect accompaniment to fish, grilled vegetables and roasted chicken.
Is Romesco sauce served hot or cold?
Romesco sauce is very adaptable and can be served either hot or cold depending on the dish that you’re making.
Romesco sauce can freeze and last for up to 3 months in the freezer. We do not recommend storing the sauce longer than 3 months as the flavour can start to degrade and the colour becomes dull.
You can freeze Romesco sauce easily by using an ice cub tray:
Portion the sauce into the ice cube tray. You can use spoons to make it easier to pour into each ice cube square.
Wrap the ice cub tray with a layer of clingfilm to prevent spillages and also limit the chance of any odours in your freezer.
Put the tray in the freeze carefully, keeping it as flat as possible.
Once frozen solid, you can pop the cubes out of the ice cube tray into a freezer bag, making sure it is sealed up.
Label the bag with the contents and the date it was made, before placing it back in the freezer.
The best way to defrost Romesco sauce is by taking a cube out of the freezer and popping it into the dish, allowing it to thaw whilst the dish continues to cook.
Image by <a href=”https://pixabay.com/users/jeshoots-com-264599/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=569070″>Jan Vašek</a> from <a href=”https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=569070″>Pixabay</a>
How to make Romesco sauce?
Start by making the romesco sauce.
In a large frying pan, add the blanched almonds and toast them until they turn colour and start to char in places, turning them over so they evenly toast. Then tip them out the pan and allow to cool slightly.
In a food processor add the roasted red peppers, toasted almonds, handful of parsley and the garlic cloves. Pulse this until everything has broken down to a chunky paste. Then add the sherry vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse again to your desired texture – you don’t want it to be completely smooth.
Tip the mixture from the food processor to a bowl and stir through the paprika and Aleppo pepper. Taste the sauce and then add some Maldon Sea Salt flakes and cracked black pepper.
How to make griddled broccoli?
Prepare the broccoli. Heat a griddle pan onto a high heat. Slice the broccoli heads into wedges by cutting each one in half lengthways through the stalk, then cut each half again into quarters.
Rub each wedge with olive oil, and then place onto the griddle pan. Let each side cook for 5 minutes until prominently char lines appear on the stalk before turning and doing the other side. This can be done in batches; the broccoli will char but also steam as it cooks.
Image by <a href=”https://pixabay.com/users/zichrini-3417353/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3267634″>Hanna</a> from <a href=”https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3267634″>Pixabay</a>
Do you have to boil broccoli before frying?
You do not need to boil broccoli before frying in the pan if you implement a steaming method to it. This is where you trap hot air in the pan to help soften the broccoli. This allows the broccoli to be a little softer in texture when you bite into it, but still irresistibly crunchy.
You can blanch the florets before stir-frying to help soften the stems and stop the enzyme that leads to browning. We recommend adding a good pinch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes and a dash of olive oil to your blanching water to help the broccoli retain it’s crunchy texture and vibrant green colour.
How to serve griddled broccoli with Romesco sauce:
When you are ready to serve, spoon the romesco sauce across the base of a large serving platter.
Then arrange the charred broccoli wedges on top.
Finally scatter with some chopped smoked almonds, a drizzle of olive oil and a final sprinkle of Maldon Sea Salt flakes and Aleppo pepper.
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How long does it take to cook raw broccoli?
Broccoli can be easy to overcook, it should always retain it’s vivid bright green colour when cooked and should have a little ‘crunch‘ to it.
When you are boiling broccoli in a pan of boiling water, we recommend cooking the florets for 6-8 minutes.
If you aresteaming your broccoli, make sure to place a steamer over boiling water and cook for the same time, around 6-8 minutes.
You can stir-fry your broccoli for a delicious, crunchy texture. You need to separate into bite-sized florets, adding 1 tbsp of olive oil into the frying plan and adding the broccoli, cooking for around 4-5 minutes or until nice and tender.
When roasting broccoli, we recommend preheating your oven to 400 degrees F for 20 minutes to allow the vegetable to be perfectly roasted.
How long does broccoli keep in the fridge?
Fresh broccoli can last up to 3-5 days in the fridge when properly stored in an air-tight container. If it is cut-up broccoli, we recommend no more than 4 days stored in the fridge, otherwise the vegetable will start to decay in colour and texture and have a unpleasant odour.
If you are storing cooked broccoli in the fridge, make sure to store in a shallow, air-tight container or wrapped in foil. It can be stored for up to 3-5 days.
What is a picnic pie?
As we head into Spring, many people turn to the outdoors to have a picnic. This is where you pack a meal to be enjoyed in the open air, usually in the countryside, beach or garden. It’s a brilliant way to enjoy the sunshine, socialise with friends and family, and tuck into some delicious tasting foods.
Classic picnic foods include great British bakes of sandwiches, scotch eggs, and sausage rolls, but one of the main centrepieces for a picnic is a ‘picnic pie’. The name is self explanatory, this is a decadent pie that is to be enjoyed at a picnic. It’s a classic pie dish, usually having a shortcrust pasty base due to it’s solid structure, avoiding any crumbling/wreckage whilst travelling to your desired picnic location!
The filling options for your picnic pie are endless! From classic chicken and leek; steak and ale, and coronation chicken, to vegetarian options of spinach, dark greens and even Pilau! It’s important to note that many picnic pies have distinctive layers in between fillings.
How do you make layers in a picnic pie?
The construction of layers requires the most attention when making your picnic pie. We recommend having all the layers ready and cool enough to assemble inside the pastry case. Try using a loose-bottomed spring form cake tin, as the pastry won’t stick to the tin and you can easily lift of the pie to serve without wrecking the pastry!
Your first layer should be the strongest of the layers, preferably one that has a low water content, such as potatoes, beef and peppers. You can then start adding your ‘lighter’ ingredients, such as spinach, cheese or mushroom. You can then repeat the process until you have nice, visible layers. Try using colourful ingredients to make the layers really stand out and impress your guests!
How to make a layered vegetable picnic pie
We made a showstopping layered vegetable pie, perfect for a picnic! The layers consist of butternut squash, aubergine, onions, red peppers, spinach and crumbly feta. Once compressed and assembled together, the layers are incredibly vivid – representing the beautiful colours of Springtime.
Making shortcrust pastry:
You can either do this by hand or with a food processor.
By hand, simply measure out the plain flour into a large bowl and add a generous pinch of salt. Then add the cold, cubed butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. Keep doing this until no large lumps of butter remain and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add 1 beaten egg to the mix and use a metal knife to cut this through, then use your hands to gently bind the pastry together.
When it has come together as a ball simply tip onto your surface and knead very briefly so the pastry is smooth.
Flatten the ball into a disc shape and then cover in clingfilm and rest in the fridge (for at least 30 minutes) while you make the fillings.
Making the fillings for your pie:
Preheat the oven to 180c.
Peel the butternut squash and then cut into small cubes. Arrange them on a single layer in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, cumin seeds and a good pinch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes and some cracked black pepper. Place the butternut squash into the oven and roast for 20 – 30 minutes until the squash is soft and starting to caramelize. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
While the butternut squash is cooking you can also prepare the aubergine. Thinly slice both aubergine and lay them across a couple of baking trays in single layers. Drizzle with olive oil, Maldon Sea Salt flakes and then place into the oven for roughly 10 minutes on each side until they are collapsed and slightly charred on each side. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the caramelised red onions, finely slice all three onions. Heat a large frying pan on a medium low heat and drizzle in a generous amount of olive oil. Add the sliced red onions and fry gently for 10 minutes until softened. Add the crushed garlic and continue to fry for 5 minutes until everything has become soft, jammy, and caramelised. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the onions to cool.
This would be a good stage to line the cake tin with your pastry.
Lining a cake tin for your pastry crust:
Take out the chilled pastry and cut it into 2 pieces, one 2/3 and the other 1/3.
Lightly flour your work surface and then roll out the bigger piece of the pastry first, into a large circle approximately 1cm thick.
Take a 23cm cake tin and carefully lift the large pastry circle and drape into the cake tin. Then press into the base and up the sides, leaving an overhang of pastry over the edges of the cake tin. If your pastry tears or rips at any stage don’t worry, just use your fingers to carefully press the pastry hole together again. Set this in the fridge.
Next roll out the smaller 1/3 of pastry to a circle that is the same 23cm diameter as this will form the top of the pie. Place this onto a lined baking tray and pop into the fridge to chill also.
Making the layers for your pie:
Now you start preparing the fillings. We started with spinach. Place a large pan of water onto boil. Add the spinach to the water and allow it to wilt for a minute only, before immediately draining in a large colander. Run some cold water over the spinach to cool it down quickly and then use your hands to press as much liquid out as possible. Once all the liquid has been removed, tip the wilted spinach into a large bowl and crumble in the feta, the lemon zest and some Maldon Sea Salt flakes and cracked black pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
Now let’s make the roasted red pepper layer. Simply remove four roasted red peppers from the jar and drain on some kitchen paper to remove the excess oil. Slice them open and set aside.
Remove the lined pastry tin from the fridge and start adding your vegetable layers.
We started with the roasted aubergine at the bottom of the pie.
Then added a layer of the roasted red peppers, followed by the spinach and feta mix. Next add the roasted butternut squash (pressing down gently on each layer so it is well compacted and even) and finished with a layer of the caramelised red onion.
Concealing with a pie lid:
Now take the pastry pie lid from the fridge and cut it to the correct size. Place this on top of the pie to enclose the fillings.
Use the second beaten egg as the egg wash and then fold the pastry overhang to tuck into the lid – use your fingers to create a crimping pattern around the edges to ensure that everything is tightly sealed.
Any extra pastry can be cut off and used to make patterns such as leaves for the top. Use the remaining egg wash to brush all over the pie top.
Cooking the layered picnic pie:
Place it into the oven in the middle shelf for 40 – 45 minutes until golden brown all over.
Remove from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before removing from the cake tin.
This can be cooled completely or served warm alongside fresh green salad.
Can you freeze picnic pie?
Once cooked, you can freeze the pie whole or pre-portioned up to 3 months. Make sure that the pie, or individually slices are wrapped well to avoid freezer burn.
What is freeze burn?
Freeze burn is when foods are exposed to cold air, dehydrating the outer layer as moisture is lost. This can make your foods have dry spots once defrosted. You can tell if your frozen foods have freeze burn as ice crystals will appear.
