TARDIS pie- two variations

Tastier on the inside.

VEGETARIAN TARDIS PIE

By popular demand, here is meat-free variation for meat-free Whovians. 

Its potato, leek and mushroom. 

TIMING

This one takes a bit less time than the meat version but the pie still needs to cook for at least an hour. So if you want to eat before the episode starts, start cooking at least two and a half hours before.

You can see the REDUCED stickers. Cheapskate and proud. 

INGREDIENTS 

Potato

Mushrooms*

Onion

Garlic

Cream

Short crust pastry

A NOTE ON MUSHROOMS-
I used a combination of button and Swiss browns. The reason for this was that when I went shopping to buy ingredients both these varieties had large, tempting REDUCED stickers on them. Also Swiss browns claim to be "meaty" and I thought that might be called for. You could use pretty much whatever sort you like. But probably not those weird stringy Japanese ones.

And if you don't like mushrooms? You are silly.

1- Chop all ingredients, slicing the potato into thin strips.

This one LOOKS a lot prettier than the meat version

2- Sauté the onion and garlic until soft then add the mushrooms.  

Sauté people. Fancy.

3- Add potato, then leek. Cook until combined. 

It just looks good for you...

4- Add cream. You'll need enough for there to be some sauce but not so much that its sloppy. 

...and then you add cream.

5- Cover and cook on low until the potato is soft.

And suddenly its not pretty any more.

6- Follow instructions as per regular TARDIS pie.

SOME NOTES ON THE TARDIS PIE MODEL

It is defiantly a good idea to bind the exterior bits to your base pastry. I've tried milk and egg and egg is much better. If you brush a little egg on the back of each piece of pastry before you press it on, the whole thing will stay together a lot better during baking.

You'll also notice I've started adding a line down the centre of the doors. 

The more you practice, the better the pies look.

No, they aren't BIGGER on the inside. Please stop asking.

APPLE TARDIS PIE

This is my favourite sort so far. Seriously, its glorious. 

NOTE- I wouldn't recommend having TARDIS pie for two courses. You would probably explode.

TIMING

This one's a little different in that I was aiming to eat it AFTER the episode. So I started cooking about an hour before and put the pie in the oven when the episode started. It was perfectly ready after 45 minutes (these are smaller than the savoury ones).

Apples still count as a serve of fruit when stewed in butter and sugar right?

INGREDIENTS

Apple

Butter

Brown sugar 

Cinnamon and/or nutmeg 

Short crust pastry

Whatever kind of apple you like, by the way.

1- I was going to say 'slice to apple into small cube type shapes' then I realised cooking has invented a work for that. Its called cubing. 

2- Put the apple in the pan. Add a decent lump of butter. Don't be stingy. 

You can go for a jog later.

3- Add a couple of spoons of brown sugar and a little water. Mix. 

The spices are kind of optional. Except they aren't. Add them.

4- Add all your spices.

5- Cover and cook on low, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and syrupy. 

See how its kind of a little bit like toffee?

6- Follow instructions as per regular TARDIS pie.

 I recommend making these ones smaller though, about half the size. 

Its how Eleven would whip his cream.

7- Serve with whipped cream. If you have an old-school hand beater, use that.

 Its feels very TARDIS-y. 

I cannot tell you how good this one is. Seriously. MAKE ONE.

THEORY ALERT!

Everything tastes better when you put it in a pie shaped like a TARDIS.

I'm looking for suggestions for other types of filling. 

We've got three episodes to go in this block. So that's three more kinds of pie. 

Thoughts?

I'm thinking a berry one because the apple is so good. Also chicken.

Please note- its a little bit weird eating TARDIS pie after watching The Doctor's Wife.