McCain Wedges Summer of Sharing Recipe #4 : British Ploughman’s Pies served with British Wedges and an English Salad

As you've probably seen, I've been cooking up all sorts of recipes using McCain Wedges, inspired by dishes from exotic climes such as Greece, Jamaica and France, but it was the British-themed recipe that I found the most surprising and innovative. Pasties stuffed with ham, cheese, chutney and pickled onions ? Really ?! Well, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised and the whole family loved them and asked me if I'd make them again!

If you want to give them a go, here's what you'll need :

Ingredients:

400g McCain British Wedges

150g pickled onions, drained

¼ tsp dried chilli

Knob of butter

2 tbsp olive oil

200g mature cheddar, grated

100g chutney

150g shredded ham hock or chopped ham

10g parsley, chopped

500g ready-made short crust pastr y

1 egg, beaten

Ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan oven 200C/ gas mark 7.

• Place 150g of McCain British Wedges on a roasting tray and cook as per  pack instructions. When cooked leave to cool slightly and cut each  wedge into three.

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan and gently cook the pickled  onions and chilli until soft and brown. Season with some salt and pepper. (Now, this is the step that made me go "WHAT ?!! Cooking pickled onions in butter and chilli ?!!" but it actually works really well. They stay crunchy and tangy but lose some of their acidity.)

Mix the wedges, pickled onions, cheese, chutney, ham and parsley together in a bowl. Add a big pinch of sea salt and a generous grinding of pepper.

Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin and cut 4-6 circles  the same size as a saucer.  Brush the edge of each pastry circle with cold water. Place a spoonful of  the filling in the middle of each round and fold upwards into semi-circle  to encase the filling. Crimp the edges of the join with your fingertips.  Repeat until all the pastry and filling has been used.

Place the pies on a baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with black pepper on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.  Place the remaining wedges on a roasting tray and cook as per pack instructions. 

When the pasties are cooked, serve alongside the wedges and an  English salad of little gem lettuce, radish and cucumber.

These are also great eaten cold as part of a packed lunch.

Don't forget, the recipes are part of  McCain's summer campaign encouraging Brits to celebrate this great British summer with family and friends. As part of the campaign they’re giving away 100 party packs per day as well as the opportunity to win the ultimate party to share with your friends and family. All you have to do is visit their microsite to enter where you’ll also find recipes, party tips, games and the calendar of events this summer  – www.summerofsharing.co.uk

Disclosure :  I received a selection of ingredients from McCain in order to try out their Summer of Sharing recipes.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Look at what we'll be cooking for our next Blogger Challenge !

McCain Wedges Summer of Sharing Recipe #1 : Greek Lamb & Feta Burgers topped with Red Onion, Cucumber & Olives, served with Oregano Wedges

McCain Wedges Summer of Sharing Recipe #2 : Jamaican Jerk Chicken served with a Mango Chilli Salsa & Spicy Wedges