Pie to the people: Roberta Hall McCarron on pastry, perfect fillings and avoiding a soggy bottom

If there’s one thing the British love, it’s a good pie. Steaming, golden-crusted, rich with filling – it’s food designed for weather like ours. So, as British Pie Week rolls in (3-9 March if you weren’t already marking it in your calendar), who better to talk to than Roberta Hall McCarron? The Edinburgh chef behind The Little Chartroom, Eleanore and newly opened Ardfern has become something of a pie authority, turning out top-tier pastry from her kitchens and even wowing the judges on Great British Menu with her now-legendary Johnston’s fluid beef pie – a dish so good that Tom Brown, a man not exactly known for faint praise, gave it a perfect 10.

But what makes a pie good? There are bad pies out there – stodgy, dry, collapsing under the weight of their own mediocrity – but not in Hall McCarron’s world. She believes in the holy trinity: great pastry, a saucy filling and (this is important) contrast. “I love the almost raw part of the top of the lid to a pie,” she says. “It’s such a nice contrast with crisp, crunchy pastry and then lots of sauce.” The key is balance – no one wants to excavate their way through layers of dry crust, but neither should a pie turn into a tragic, soupy mess.

A pastry primer – avoiding common pitfalls

The secret to a good pie, Hall McCarron insists, starts with the pastry. And, as with most things in life, it’s all about moderation. “Thickness of the pastry – too thin and it becomes brittle and falls apart, too thick and too much of it is raw. You want to aim for approx ½ cm thickness.” Simple advice, but how many of us have fallen foul of the dreaded undercooked crust?

Then there’s the matter of getting that all-important golden glow. The Instagrammable finish, the sign of a job well done. Hall McCarron’s top tip? “Use fridge-cold butter, egg and any dairy – this prevents the butter from splitting when it’s cooking. Allow it to rest in the fridge at different stages too.” Then, the final touch: “A good thick egg wash – egg wash it twice. After the first wash, let it soak into the pastry (5-10 minutes) and then wash it again.”

And if you fear the dreaded soggy bottom? “Preheat your baking tray in the oven,” Hall McCarron advises. “Use a cast iron tray, as it retains the heat more than a normal tray.” The message is clear – if you’re not treating your pie with the same reverence as a sourdough starter, you’re doing it wrong.

The great pastry debate – shortcut vs puff vs filo

Every pie-lover has a preference. Shortcrust, with its crumbly buttery finish? Puff, golden and flakey? Or filo – light, crisp, with an impressive crunch? Hall McCarron, ever diplomatic, refuses to play favourites. “I love both kinds as they each bring something totally different and play their part for different fillings.” That said, she does have a soft spot for rough puff. “It’s a lot easier and quicker to make and is easier to work with after.”

Filo, however, doesn’t get quite the same enthusiasm. “I like filo, but it wouldn’t be my go-to choice.” It’s the culinary equivalent of “we should catch up soon”.

On showstoppers and simple pleasures

Hall McCarron has plenty of pies on her menus, as well as in her debut cookbook The Changing Tides. Some are designed to impress – like her beef and caramelised onion pie, a winter warmer that can double as a centrepiece, especially with a bit of pastry decoration. “For me, a pie is the ultimate comfort food, it's quintessentially British,” she says. “My favourite way to eat is lots of people around the table all sharing and getting stuck in.”

Other pies are more personal. Her chicken, ham hock and leek pie is a firm favourite, both to cook and to eat. “For a meat pie, I find it a little lighter,” she explains. “I always use chicken thighs and smoked ham hocks – the thighs are less lean than breasts and work better, and the smokiness from the ham adds such a great flavour.”

A family of pie-makers

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Hall McCarron has such a natural affinity for pie-making – she was raised on them. “I grew up with a lot of pies,” she recalls. “My family had a pork manufacturing company that made all sorts of pies – Scotch pies, beef pies, pork pies.” She’s spent her life eating and refining them, turning a childhood staple into a signature dish.

That sense of heritage runs deep in her cooking. Johnston’s fluid beef was a tribute to Scottish innovation, while other dishes take inspiration from classic Scottish recipes, reworked with finesse. “I love recreating classic old Scottish dishes and refining them slightly – Cullen skink is a favourite.”

Why pie-making shouldn’t be intimidating

For anyone hesitant to try making a pie from scratch, Hall McCarron insists it’s all about taking it step by step. Her top unconventional hack? “If you’re making a pie that’s supported by the pastry rather than a ceramic dish, set your filling in a separate mould, line the mould with cling film and pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set and firm up – it’ll be easier to mould the pastry around it.” A simple trick, but one that can make all the difference between a pie that holds its shape and one that collapses like a soufflé past its prime.

Ultimately, pie-making should be a joy, not a stress. As British Pie Week kicks off, there’s no better excuse to roll up your sleeves, embrace the butter and give it a go. Whether you’re after a hearty meat-filled classic or a delicate cheese-laden bake, Hall McCarron has more than a few recipes to get you started. And if all else fails? Well, there’s always The Little Chartroom.

Rough puff pastry

Makes: about 800g

Ingredients:

500g plain flour

250g cold salted butter, diced small

2 tbsp milk

3 medium egg yolks

Method:

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or by hand in a bowl, mix the flour and butter together until it forms a breadcrumb texture. Beat the milk and egg yolks with 8oml water and add it in, then mix until everything is just combined. Turn the dough out on to the worktop and finish it with your hands. Shape the dough into a rectangle, then cut it in half and wrap each piece in cling film. Put in the fridge to rest for at least an hour.

Sweet pastry

Makes: about 500g

Ingredients:

120g butter, softened

6og icing sugar

1 egg

260g strong bread flour salt

Method:

In a stand mixer, mix the butter and icing sugar ogether until just combined, then mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Add the egg and mix - don't worry if it looks curdled. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and mix until it is just combined. Empty the dough on to your worktop and shape into a flat disc with your hands, then wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Scotch pies

Scotch pies were a staple for me growing up, and these smaller bite-sized versions make the best snack! You can use pork belly with a good bit of fat through it if you have trouble getting hold of pork fat.

Makes: 20 pies

Ingredients:

For the hot water pastry:

520g plain flour

2 eggs

160g lard

1 tsp salt

For the filling:

250g lamb mince

125g pork fat, minced

1½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground mace

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp white pepper

For the egg wash:

2 egg yolks, beaten

8cm and 5cm pastry cutters

Method:

1. Start with the hot water pastry as it needs to rest for longer in the fridge than shortcrust. In a bowl, roughly mix the flour and eggs together. Put the lard and salt into a pot with 100ml water and bring to a boil. Pour this over the flour mixture and stir until you have a soft dough. Shape the dough into a fat disc, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.

2. The pie filling is simple: just mix the lamb mince with the pork fat, salt, mace, nutmeg and white pepper. Divide into 20 portions and roll each between your palms to shape them into balls.

3. Preheat your oven to 180C fan and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

4. Roll out the dough to 4mm thick on a floured worktop. Cut out 20 circles of dough with the 8cm cutter and 20 with the 5cm cutter, then start to build your pies.

5. Brush one of the 8cm pieces of pastry with water, then place a ball of filling on top. Place a smaller circle on top of the filling and smooth it down with your hand. Bring the sides of the bottom piece up and join them to the top by pinching at five points. Make a hole in the top with a cocktail stick.

6. When you've done all the pies, brush them all over with egg wash, then put them on the greaseproof-lined tray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with a generous dollop of pickled walnut ketchup (recipe below).

Pickled walnut ketchup

This makes more than you need but you can keep any leftovers in a jar in the fridge for two weeks.

Makes: 450ml

Ingredients:

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp sunflower oil

1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and chopped

1 tbsp demerara sugar

390g jar pickled walnuts, drained and chopped salt

Method:

1. Sweat down the onion in the oil until soft. Add the apple, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Finally, add the drained pickled walnuts and cook for about 10 minutes until the apples are very soft.

2. Blitz until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Potato, Tallegio and butternut squash pie

This recipe benefits from allowing the gratin to press overnight, but can also be made on the day.

Make a half batch of rough puff pastry, split them into 2 pieces – 1 weighing approx 100g shape into a cylinder and wrap in cling film, and shape the remaining piece into a cylinder and wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge to rest.

Ingredients:

For the pie filling:

125ml milk

300ml cream

½ bulb garlic

10g thyme

625g red rooster potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced 1mm)

350g butternut squash (peeled and thinly sliced 1mm)

120g Tallegio

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 170C.

2. Place the milk, cream, garlic and thyme in a pot and take to a simmer, take off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 mins.

3. Season the potato and butternut squash with salt and black pepper.

4. Place the potato in an even layer in the bottom of the tray, next a layer of butternut squash, repeat until all the potato and butternut squash is used.

5. Strain the cream mix through a sieve, and pour over the potato and squash.

6. Place in the over for approx 1 hour until cooked. Allow to cool, place a sheet of baking paper on top, place another tray on top with some weight added and press overnight.

7. A small bowl (approx 14cm diameter, 8cm height) is the best shape to use to mould the filling for the pie.

8. Line the mould with cling film – make sure to have some extra to hang over the edge.

9. Place 240g of gratin In the base, then 120g of Tallegio, and then another 240g of gratin- add in a little more of there’s space, press into the mould. Fold the cling film over the top and place in the fridge for approx 30 minutes to firm up slightly.

10. Pre-heat your oven to 180C.

11. In the meantime, roll out your pastry. Take to approx 1/2cm thickness.

12. The smaller piece is the base of the pie, once rolled take the filling out of the fridge and open up the cling film. Place the flat side of the bowl on top of the pastry, remove the bowl and carefully peel the cling film away. Egg wash the pastry around the filling and take the larger piece of rolled pastry and place it on top of the filling and using your hands carefully mould it around the filling, making sure there are no air pockets. Use a large ring or bowl (approx 17cm) to cut away any excess pastry and neaten up the lip at the bottom – you want approx 1.5cm lip. Keep the pastry trim.

13. If you have a slightly larger bowl that fits over the filling and pastry, place it on top and either use a knife or something similar to push the pastry lip in until the knife hits the bowl. Do this all the way round, leaving a space of approx 1cm between each one.

14. Egg wash the pie, leave it for 10 minutes and egg wash again. Using the pastry trim cut a circle approx 3-4cm diameter and place on top of the pie in the centre.

15. Use a skewer and make a 1cm diameter hole in the circle- this is for a chimney.

16. Use a small (pairing/turning) knife to make scores on the pastry (as pictured) only apply gentle pressure to make a mark but not cut all the way through. Start at the top and curve down.

17. Insert a chimney into the hole at the top (you can make a tinfoil chimney by wrapping it around a pen!)

18. Place it on a preheated tray in the oven, and bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown and piping hot.

Braised beef and caramelised onion pie

The filling can be made the day before and used cold – in fact, the whole pie can be made the day before and kept in the fridge until you're ready to cook it.

Have fun with the pastry decorating! The key to golden pastry is a good egg wash-just egg yolk and a tiny splash of cream.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1kg beef cheeks

2½ tbsp sunflower oil

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 celery stick, roughly chopped

1½ a garlic bulb

2 bay leaves

20g thyme

2L beef stock

200ml red wine

20 baby or silverskin onions, halved

300g celeriac, peeled and cut into 5mm dice

10 onions, thinly sliced

16 slices of pancetta (you can also use Parma ham or prosciutto)

Salt

1 recipe rough puff pastry

4 egg yolks, beaten

Splash of double cream

Sea salt

27cm diameter ceramic pie dish

Method:

1. Season the beef cheeks, then sear them in a hot pan with a tablespoon of the oil, getting a nice colour on each side. Transfer to a deep pot. Add the roughly chopped carrots and celery to the beef along with the unpeeled garlic, bay leaves and half the thyme sprigs. Pour over the beef stock and red wine and bring to a simmer, then cook gently until the meat is tender, about 4 to 5 hours. Keep checking after 4 hours – the cheeks are ready when the meat pulls away easily.

2. Meanwhile, make the rough puff pastry (recipe above), then split it into three pieces, one weighing 500g and the other two split evenly. Shape into flattish discs and wrap them individually in cling film. Leave to rest for a couple of hours in the fridge.

3. When the cheeks are ready, remove them from the liquid with a slotted spoon and leave to cool enough to handle. With your hands, pick through the beef cheeks, removing any pieces of sinew and tearing the meat into 4cm pieces. Pass the cooking liquid through a sieve into a pot.

4. Add the halved baby onions to the beef cooking liquid and bring up to a simmer, then gently braise for 20 minutes until they are soft. Strain the baby onions and set them aside, then pass the cooking liquid through a sieve into a pot. Reduce the liquid to about 350ml, with a thicker sauce consistency. Check the seasoning.

5. In a wide pan, sauté the celeriac dice with a pinch of salt in ½ tablespoon of oil until cooked through.

6. Mix together the beef cheeks, braised baby onions, cooked celeriac and reduced sauce, then add the picked leaves of the remaining thyme. You can keep this in the fridge until you are ready to make the pie.

7. For the caramelised onions, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a sauce pot, then add the thinly sliced onions and a couple of pinches of salt. Cook down over a medium heat for about an hour until the onions are golden brown and very soft. Keep stirring from time to time and lower the heat if it looks like anything is burning. Set aside.

8. Preheat your oven to 180C fan.

9. Now build your pie. On a floured worktop, roll the 500g piece of pastry out so it is 5mm thick and large enough to line the pie dish and hang a little over the sides. Wrap it over your rolling pin to transfer it to your dish, and gently press it into place.

10. Line the pastry with the pancetta: imagine your dish is a clock, then put one piece of pancetta pointing to 12 o'clock with the thin end of the rasher in the middle of the dish and the other end overlapping the edge. Put another one pointing to 3 o'clock, then one to 6 and one to 9. Using the same idea, fill in the gaps so there is no pastry left visible. Add half of the beef cheek filling and smooth it flat with a spatula, then put in the caramelised onions and smooth them out. Cover the onions with the rest of the beef cheek filling, then fold the ends of the pancetta back over the top. Make an egg wash by beating together the egg yolks and cream, and brush plenty of it around the sides of the pastry.

11. Roll out one of the remaining pieces of pastry to get a circle about 30cm in diameter (a little bigger than your pie dish) and 2 to 3mm thick. Lay it on top of the pie and pinch the pastry edges together. Brush the top with another thick layer of egg wash. Finally, roll out the last bit of pastry and cut out whatever shapes you like to decorate the top of the pie. When the decorations are in place, give everything a final egg wash and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes.

12. Bake the pie for 45 minutes and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Merguez lamb pie

Ingredients:

For the lamb stock:

400g lamb trim

1L lamb stock

3 bay leaves

Small bunch thyme

4 garlic cloves

Sunflower oil, for cooking

For the braised lamb:

1kg boneless lamb shoulder

3 onions

1 tsp smoked paprika

Pinch black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp nigella seeds

Pinch salt

3 tbsp harissa

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 leek

For the rough puff pastry:

330g plain flour

165g cold butter

1 tsp salt

2 egg yolks

3 tbsp milk

50g water

For the egg wash:

2 egg yolks

2 heads baby gem lettuce

Pinch sea salt

For the buttermilk dressing:

4 tbsp buttermilk

4 tbsp creme fraiche

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Pinch salt

Pinch sugar

Method:

To make the lamb stock:

1. Trim the lamb shoulder, removing any skin or sinew (cut it small and add it to the lamb trim).

2. Cut the lamb trim into small pieces, brown off in a pot, drain off any fat that’s produced in a sieve or colander.

3. Place the meat back in the pot and deglaze with some of the lamb stock (scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon) pour the rest of the stock in.

4. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and garlic to the stock.

5. Allow the stock to gently simmer for 1 hour.

To make the pastry:

6. Mix the flour and salt together.

7. Dice the butter into small pieces, add to the flour and mix with your hands- rubbing the flour until all the butter is incorporated and it’s like breadcrumbs. (This can also be done in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment).

8. Mix the egg yolks, water, and milk together, add to the flour mix.

9. Mix until it forms a dough, divide into 2 pieces and shape into cylinders, flatten slightly and wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

To make the lamb pie mix:

10. Cut the lamb shoulder into 1-inch pieces, brown off in a pot. Take out and keep for later.

11. Peel and thinly slice the onions, gently sweat in the same pot after 5 minutes add in all the spices, seeds, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes.

12. Add in the harissa and tomato paste, cook for a few minutes. Place the lamb shoulder back in the pot with the onions.

13. Strain the lamb stock, and skim off any fat that has collected with a ladle then add to the lamb. Gently simmer for 1-1½ hours until the lamb is tender.

14. Quarter the leeks and chop into 1cm pieces, add to the lamb, cook for 5 minutes.

15. Preheat your oven to 180C.

16. Roll both pieces of pastry to ½ cm thickness, turn the pie dish upside down and place it on top of the pastry, allow for an extra 1½ inches and cut around the dish (keep the scraps).

17. Separate the pie mix into both dishes and cover with pastry, pinching it underneath the edges.

18. Brush the pastry with egg wash.

19. Make a hole in the centre to place a chimney in – if you don’t have one, tinfoil works very well – fold a small piece over and roll it around a pen, insert it into the hole.

20. Optional extra – I like to garnish my pastry with shapes of pastry, and it’s a great way to use up any excess pastry. Brush them with egg wash as well.

21. Place in your oven for 20-25 minutes.

For the buttermilk dressing:

22. Whisk all the ingredients together. Separate the leaves, wash and drain in a colander. Season with sea salt, drizzle with buttermilk dressing.