Sophie Conran’s Pies

Baking in an Aga

I love my Aga. I love the way it gently breathes and warms the kitchen. Every pie in this book has been cooked on and in my Aga.

My basic method for cooking a pie involves first preparing the filling and then baking the filling in a pastry case or just covering with pastry. I tend to cook the filling on a simmering plate, using a large cast iron or ceramic casserole dish. If it is cooking too fast I put a coin under the pan. When it comes to baking, I usually pop the pie on the grid shelf on the lowest set of runners, in the roasting oven, then check after about 15 minutes and cover with foil if it looks like the pastry is brown enough. Below is a general guide to converting the temperatures used in this book for your Aga.

Meaty Pies