The UK looks set to have their eyes firmly on the pies next week (1-7 March), with new Tesco data revealing that almost half of the nation (46%) plan to tuck into a pastry-topped treat to celebrate British Pie Week. Furthermore, the annual celebration looks set to be the biggest one yet, with over a third (35%) of British adults celebrating the occasion for the first time after embracing scratch cooking during lockdown.
According to Tesco data, we’re a nation of pie lovers, with only 9% of UK adults claiming not to like them. However, our love for the dish has soared since lockdown began last March, with one in five (20%) cooking one from scratch for the very first time in the last year, and over a quarter (27%) claiming to have made and eaten them more while working from home.
Additionally, a quarter (25%) also claim to have become more adventurous with their pie making habits since cooking more in the last year.
New recipes aside, there seems to be one clear stand-out winner when it comes to the nation’s favourite pie – the traditional apple pie (as selected by 30% of respondents). Overall, however, the nation prefers savoury pies, with 64% citing savoury as their favourite, versus the 36% who favour sweet.
Nation’s Top 10 favourite pies:
- Apple
- Steak and ale
- Steak and kidney
- Lemon meringue
- Chicken and mushroom
- Cherry
- Cheese and onion
- Banoffee
- Rhubarb
- Meat & Potato
If you want to try something a bit different though – how about a Moroccan Lamb Filo Pie?
MOROCCAN LAMB FILO PIE
Recipe by Tesco
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 500g minced lamb
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 100ml lamb or chicken stock
- 75g dried apricots (chopped)
- 50g pine nuts
- a handful of parsely, roughly chopped
- 6 filo pastry sheets
- 50g butter, melted
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 190˚C/Gas mark 5.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion until softened. Add the lamb and cook for 5 minutes until browned, breaking up any clumps. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the stock.
- Continue cooking over a medium heat for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Stir the apricots through the mince and season well. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until just golden, then leave to cool. Stir the cooled pine nuts and parsley through the mince.
- To assemble the pie, put one sheet of filo pastry in a 20cm ovenproof dish and fold over the excess pastry to cover. Brush with melted butter.
- Brush another filo sheet with butter and tear it into strips. Drape the strips over the filling, allowing them to fall unevenly in waves.
- Repeat with the remaining sheet of filo and brush again with melted butter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.