A pie inspired by eggs benedict at Salut in Wellington. Photo: Derek Morrison
A Wellington bakery is taking the humble pie to the next level.
Bakers Joe and Carey Player shifted Salut Pies south from Otaki a few months ago to appeal to pie lovers in the capital. They create new flavours almost daily, ranging from red Thai curry to eggs benedict. However the pie de jour is their beef brisket with jalapeno bacon relish, Joe Carey told RNZ's Summer Times.
"I tried to take that off the menu, but somebody would have shot me," he says.
Another firm favourite with pie fans is the Korean Gochujang pork belly.
"That's a huge one."
A tongue-in-cheek post Covid offering is their biggest seller to date, he says.
"It was made as a joke after the pandemic because everybody raced out to Burger King, McDonald's and KFC. So, I came up with a Big Mac in a pie."
That included two beef patties, special sauce, cheese, onion, gherkin and sesame seed bun. They made the crust look like a bun, he says.
"And people went absolutely bonkers for it."
Their pies are flying out of the door, they regularly make over 500 a day with their biggest days hitting the 700-pie mark.
So what is the key to a great pie?
"No reheating, in my opinion. But that is a contentious statement, we make everything fresh every morning, and people can tell by the pastry. It's not reheated, it's not soft, it's always, it's always pretty firm."
A good beginner pie for home cooks, he suggests, is the classic mince and cheese.
"The trick to a classic mince and cheese that a lot of people mess up is they don't wash the mince, like you fry it off and then wash it and you'll get rid of the fat by just boiling it in water after you fried it off.
"That way, it won't make the pastry all soft. You'll be able to keep it for a much longer time."
The trick is to remove all the fat from the mince, he says.
"A lot of people don't do it because they make their pie and they eat it straight away, but they don't know that if it sits there for a while, all the fat and mince will soak to the bottom and absolutely destroy your pie.
"So, if you fry it off and then just simmer it with water, strain it and squeeze it, and all the fat will come out. And once the mince is dry, it is begging for more liquid. So, if you put a beef stock into the mince it will just soak up that beef stock instantly, and you will have a beautiful mince mix."
Maximum effort with the filling is ultimately what makes pie special, he says.
"The absolute key is making the internal as if you're trying to impress a girlfriend."
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