Party pies: Kale, kumara & feta and mince & cheese

Tam West

Having a party? Or tuning in with friends for a little Olympic viewing, or even a test match? These mini pies are the perfect snack solution. They can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge right up to the last minute. The mince and cheese combo is famous the world over, but it’s also good to have a non-meat version to offer. These sweet, salty and healthy kale and kumara pies will tick all the boxes.

Ingredients

7 sheets	Puff pastry, pre-rolled
1 cup	Kumara, diced (Main)
2 cups	Kale leaves, washed and torn
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
100 g	Feta
500 g	Prime beef mince (Main)
2 Tbsp	Rice bran oil
½ cup	Diced onion
2 tsp	Garlic, grated
2 Tbsp	Cornflour
1 cup	Beef stock
3 Tbsp	Tomato sauce
½ cup	Cheddar cheese, diced
1	Egg yolk, combine with 2 Tbsp water and a pinch of salt to make egg wash

Directions

1. Lightly dust the bench with flour then roll out 4 sheets of puff pastry until 2mm thin or approx 25per cent larger than the original size. Place in the fridge to rest.
2. For the kale, kumara and feta filling: Simmer kumara gently for 6 minutes in salted water, drain and cool. In a hot frying pan, cook kale with oil and a pinch of salt until wilted. Allow to cool then mix with crumbled feta and kumara and season with freshly ground black pepper.
3. For mince pie filling: Season mince with salt then fry in a very hot pan with oil. Place mince in a bowl, drain excess oil from pan and fry onion on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic then stock and boil until reduced by half. Mix cornflour with 1 Tbsp of cold water, stir into sauce and cook until thickened. Add tomato sauce and cooked mince. Allow to cool completely, then add diced cheese.
4. Spray 2 x (12) medium-size muffin tins. Use a fork to "dock" the 4 thin rolled sheets of pastry by piercing them at regular intervals, about an inch apart. Cut 24 medium-sized discs for the bases (approx 9cm diameter) that will fit when pressed into the muffin tin.
5. Dock the remaining 3 sheets of unrolled pastry,then cut out 24 small discs for the lids (approx 4cm diameter).
6. Half-fill each pie base with filling then carefully press a lid on each one, ensuring it is attached all the way round.
7. Sparingly brush each pie with a thin coating of egg wash, pierce a small hole to allow the steam to escape. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
8. Cook in a 220C oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 190C and cook for further 10 minutes, this will ensure a crisp fully cooked golden puff pastry case.

More Kiwi pie recipes from Geoff

• Smoked fish pie
• Beef, bacon and mushroom pie