The Sunday Pie club is back!  London

After a little longer than expected baby break - I have brought the popular Sunday Pie making club back.  This time in a City venue!  Its a wonderfully kitted out, brand new kitchen with all the mod cons and an area to chill and chat in your pie making breaks.

Established in 2009.  We make proper pies with no soggy bottoms! No lazy pies with just a piece of puff pastry on top of a casserole. I will teach you how to make pastry effortlessly and with my tips you will overcome your pastry fear! 

Lots of fun, a great thing to do in London and lots of individual British Pies to take home with you.

New dates:

• Sunday 20th January 2013
• Sunday 3rd February 2013
• Sunday 3rd March 2013

Here are the details for the new classes:

• 4 hour "hands on class"
• 16 Max per class
• 11am - 3pm (please arrive 15 minutes early)
• £60 per person, all inclusive
• Hats, apron, top equipment and ingredients supplied
• Book of recipes sent as a PDF after class
• Vegetarian option available 

To book your place: click here and follow the links

Our new kitchen venue for the classes, Central Street Kitchen. London

I have a publishing deal

Just over the moon - I have signed a publishing contract with 

Random House's Square Peg books.  

My book will be entitled "Little book of Pies" 

30 recipes and chat wrapped up in a cute retro 80's feel.

  

The work starts now!  I'm mega happy!  

From Pop music to Pies!  Who would have thought!

Illustration by Scott Rhodes

Home cooks to Market, be on the new Sky 1 show

Splash Media is currently looking for competitive cooking couples (friends/partners/colleagues/relatives) to take part in a primetime food series with Gizzi Erskine for Sky 1. 
Go for it and say you heard it from me; Marika's Kitchen

French Onion Soup Pie for 2 lovers!

FRENCH ONION SOUP PIE 

FOR 2 LOVERS

Marika's Kitchen

Makes 2 huge pies (4 people)

This is filthy! It is so rich and intense; it should be shared by two lovers. Made to dive your spoons in and get messy. There is a Gruyere Cheese surprise in the Puff pastry lid and it’s a killer when the pastry falls into the soup and the cheese oozes out!  Ooh La La!

You’ll need

2 Pudding bowls, roughly 6.5” width x 3.5” depth

Non stick Baking tray 

Heavy bottom non-stick pot/casserole dish with lid

Timer

Ingredients

1 kg Peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced Onions

1 tbsp Butter and a glug of olive oil to fry onions

1 tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp ground black pepper

1.5 Pints Boiling Beef stock.  (1 and a half stock cubes dissolved)

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2.5 tbsp Plain flour

2 tbsp good Cognac

300g Easy roll Puff pastry

50g Swiss or Gruyere Cheese (sliced into two)

1 egg whisked

How to Make

1.     Add butter and oil to heavy bottom pot; fry the sliced onions for 20 minutes on a medium heat with lid on.

2.     Now add the salt, pepper and sugar and fry for a further 35 minutes with the lid off on a medium heat, until the onions are a dark golden colour.

3.     Now add the flour, mix into onions, make sure there are no lumps.

4.     Add stock, let simmer on a medium heat with the lid half on for another 20 minutes. 

5.     Take off the heat and add the cognac!

In-between waiting for your onions to simmer get on with rolling the pastry.

1.     Roll out 2 layers of pastry (on a floured surface) to the thickness of the side of a pound coin.

2.     Now make them even and layer pastry on top of each other.

3.     Next turn both pudding bowls upside down onto pastry and cut around the rim.

4.     Remove bowls, take the top layer of pastry and set to one side.

5.     Place half a slice of cheese in the centre, next with a pastry brush, egg wash the pastry around the cheese.

6.     Lift other piece of pastry and sandwich on top. Repeat.

7.     Prick a few holes (for air) in the pastry packets, and egg wash the tops.

8.     Bake pie lids on a floured oven tray in a pre-heated oven of 220 degrees Celsius or fan oven 200 for only 10 minutes, remove when puffed up and golden.

9.     Ladle Onion soup into warm bowls; pop the pastry on top acting as a giant cheesy crouton.

10.  Take two tablespoons and devour immediately.

Chorizo, potato & bean speedy stew ... Kick your wellies off and make!

Okay Kick your wellies off and get down to making my quick hearty stew. I have  been craving this about once a week, and so I'm gonna share!  Stock up on the ingredients cos I'm telling you now, you are going to just love it, and want to make it over and over.  Its stupidly satisfying and its just what the doctor ordered when you get home from a horrible cold and wet bus journey.... I'm making this again tonight!

Chorizo, potato and bean speedy stew

Marika’s Kitchen

Ready in 30 minutes.  Serves 4.

1 leek sliced

2 medium sized Cyprus potatoes (peeled and chopped)

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of pimento

2 bay leaves

1 Garlic clove (crushed and sliced)

200g of spicy Chorizo (sliced)

1 tin of red kidney beans (drained)

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

200g of fresh green beans (trimmed)

300ml of hot water with 1 beef stock cube dissolved in.

Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

Salt and black pepper

HOW TO MAKE THIS

1.              Add a glug of olive oil to a large pot (with lid) add the leeks and potatoes, sauté them for a few moments.  Then add the garlic, cumin, Pimento, tomato puree and bay leaves and give a quick stir.

2.              In a separate frying pan, add the sliced Chorizo, cook for only two minutes on each side, turn the heat off and add to the main cooking pot.  (Add the red paprika oil to the pot as well, or if you want to reduce the fat, just add the cooked Chorizo)

3.              Now prepare the stock and add to the pot.

4.              Cook with the lid off for say 5 minuets.

5.              Now add the Green beans and the drained kidney beans, season, a quick mix then leave to cook for a further 15 minutes with lid on until the potatoes are cooked, but don’t over cook because you don’t want your potatoes mushy.  

6.       If the sauce is too watery, take the lid off, up the heat so you can reduce the sauce so its thinker. (Say 5 minutes)

7.              Serve with a dollop of fresh Greek yogurt, a sprinkle of parsley and a well-deserved glass of red wine.