Food should be flavorful, of course, but meals that surface memories of family and comfort make eating even more enjoyable.

For British chef and recipe developer Kieron Hales, elevating age-old comfort food to share with foodies around the world honors the tastes and passion of home-cooked meals. These days, he's the owner and chef of Cornman Farms, an event venue and kitchen in Ann Arbor, MI., incorporated into part of the Zingerman's Delicatessen businesses. There, he serves a special version of one of his home-town favorites, and he's kindly offered to share the recipe with us.

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"In 1995, at 13 years old, I moved to London from Stoke Gabriel, a small farming village in southwest England," Hales says. "It was there that I began my culinary career as a modern apprentice, working at high-end restaurants around the city. To get by, I lived at a hostel in Earls Court and frequented local pie and mash shops for an affordable meal in between shifts. Every time I entered a pie and mash shop for a handmade meat pie served with mashed potatoes, I recall feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. I was a homesick kid, and there was something about pie and mash that gave me the familiar comfort of one of my mum’s home-cooked meals."

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"Today," he continues, "far away from both my home village and the streets of London’s East End, I make my own elevated version of pie and mash as a way to honor and to share this traditional food. Every time I make it, I’m reminded of my family, my country, and my early days as a chef. After all, isn’t that the beautiful thing about food? It can transport you to a different time and place."

Taking the fresh and vibrant flavors from his curated garden to create a seasonal menu at the farmhouse, Hales pulls inspiration from his mother's recipes and the classic flavors of this British country classic.

Hales' pie and mash recipe blends savory hand-made pie crust with mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. It can be cooked with a variety of flavors. Try the steak and Stilton filling for something elevated, or stick to the traditional beef and onion for a no-fuss mid-week meal.

Follow Chef Kieron's Pie & Mash recipe to share the elevated flavors of this beloved dish with your family and friends. It's broken down into a few distinct steps, and you can put them all together faithfully or eventually get creative and play around with your own pie and mash marvel.

Pie and Mash

Pie Pastry Dough

This recipe makes two pies with tops, and serves four.

Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 sticks or 93 grams of salted butter, frozen and grated
• 1 1⁄2 cups or 136 grams of all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 tsp or 1 gram of Kosher salt
• 52 grams ice water

Directions:

1. For best results, freeze the butter overnight. We recommend freezing a full block (pound) of butter as it will make grating a bit easier.
2. Coarsely grate the butter (a standard cheese grater using the largest-holed side). Once grated, re-freeze until ready to use.
3. Combine salt and flour together in a bowl. Using a pastry blender (or the end of a long-handled spoon) blend in the frozen, grated butter until it has a pea-meal consistency.
4. Add just enough ice-cold water to bring the dough together. Form into one large ball, and then divide into four balls: two balls weighing 140 grams each, and two balls weighing 80 grams each.
5. Wrap each ball in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. If you will not be using the dough right away, flatten the dough in the plastic wrap before placing it in the fridge.
6. When refrigerated, the dough will last up to 6 days. When using, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature prior to use.

Simple Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups or 216 grams peeled and diced russet potatoes
• 2 tbsp or 3.6 grams kosher salt
• 1⁄4 cup or 36 grams salted butter

Directions:

1. Peel and coarsely chop the potatoes.
2. Place in a heavy stock pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water. Add salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the potatoes are tender.
3. Drain the potatoes and allow to air dry for 5 minutes.
4. Melt the butter.
5. Place the drained potatoes into a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Stir gently for 1 minute.
6. Add butter. Take off the heat and coarsely mash. Add salt to taste.

Parsley Liquor Sauce

This recipe makes enough for 4 pies.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups or 360 grams chicken stock
• 1 tbsp or 3.6 grams pomace oil
• 6 each or 7.4 grams garlic cloves
• 1⁄4 cup or 30 grams salted butter
• 1⁄4 cup or 30 grams cornstarch
• 1 bunch or 32 grams parsley
• 1⁄4 cup or 28 grams spinach

Directions:

1. In a pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer.
2. Place the pomace oil and garlic into a heavy bottom pan. Cook on a medium heat until the garlic is golden brown.
3. Puree the garlic and oil.
4. In a separate pan, melt the butter over a medium heat and whisk in the cornstarch to make a paste. Gradually stir in the stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
5. In a blender, blitz in the parsley, spinach and garlic, and stir until thickened and smooth.
6. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Beef & Onion Pie Filling

This recipe makes two pies, and serves four.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp or 12 grams pomace oil
• 1⁄2 tbsp or 4 grams kosher salt
• 3⁄4 cup or 146 grams ground top round beef
• 3⁄4 cup or 82 grams diced red onion
• 3⁄4 cup or 85 grams large cut shallots or pearl onions
• 1⁄2 tbsp or 2 grams mustard powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄2 tsp or 1 gram ground black pepper
• 4 or 12 gram peeled garlic cloves, pureed
• 1 tbsp or 8 grams all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 tsp or 15 grams beef base or bouillon
• 1 tbsp or 15 grams Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄4 cup or 19 grams port
• 1⁄8 cup or 15 grams sherry
• 1⁄2 cup or 83 grams red wine
• 1⁄2 cup or 83 grams beef stock
• 2 140 gram balls of pastry dough
• 2 80 gram balls of pastry dough
• 1 egg yolk

Directions:

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp or 6 grams of pomace oil, and heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle 1⁄4 or 2 gram tbsp of salt into the oil and mix in. Crumble ground beef into the pan and cook until brown.
2. Drain the fat and return the beef to the pan. Add red onion and sauté until soft. Add mustard
3. Grind roughly-chopped bay leaf, 1⁄4 tbsp or 2 grams of salt and 1⁄2 tsp or 1 gram of black pepper in a spice grinder, until powdered. (This can also be done with a mortar and pestle. In the absence of either, chop the herbs as finely as you can.) Add to the meat mixture.
4. Puree garlic with 1 tbsp or 6 grams of pomace oil until smooth. Add to the pan and sauté for 4 minutes. Stir in flour and fully cook for 4 minutes.
5. Add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, port, sherry and red wine. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt to taste and leave in fridge until cool.

Steak & Stilton Pie Filling

This recipe makes two pies, and serves four.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp or 18 grams pomace oil
• 1 1⁄4 cup or 95 grams diced top round of beef
• 1 tbsp or 6 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp or 7.5 grams kosher salt
• 1⁄8 tbsp or .5 grams ground black pepper
• 1⁄3 cup or 85 grams red wine
• 1 tbsp or 12 grams port
• 1⁄2 cup or 73 grams diced russet potatoes
• 1⁄2 cup or 45 grams diced tri-colored carrots
• 1⁄2 cup or 71 grams sliced red onions
• 1⁄2 cup or 53 grams rough cut leeks
• 1⁄4 cup or 18 grams diced celery
• 1 bay leaf, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs or 1 grams fresh thyme
• 4 cloves of garlic or 6 grams
• 1⁄4 cup or 30 grams peas
• 1 tsp or 12 grams Dijon mustard
• 1 cup or 124 grams rough crumble Stilton cheese (or any blue cheese)
• 2 140 grams balls of pastry dough
• 2 80 grams balls of pastry dough
• 1 egg yolk

Directions:

1. Set a large, heavy pan over medium heat. Heat 1 tablespoon or 6g of pomace oil for 2 to 3
2. In a bowl, mix diced beef, 1⁄4 teaspoon or 1.5g salt, 1⁄8 teaspoon or .5g pepper and 1 tablespoon or 6g flour. Shake off the excess flour mix. Add the meat to the heated oil and cook until golden
3. Add port and red wine to the beef. Bring to a simmer. Place on a low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Once cooked, remove the pan from heat and let cool.
5. Place diced potatoes into a pot. Cover with cold water and add 1⁄2 teaspoon or 2g of salt. Bring water to a simmer and cook the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes and place on a tray to cool. Repeat this process for the diced carrots.
6. Set a large, heavy pan over medium heat. Heat 1 tablespoon or 6g of pomace oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions and sauté until brown. Add rough-cut leeks and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add roughly diced celery and sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Grind roughly chopped bay leaf, thyme and 1 tablespoon or 2g salt in a spice grinder, until powdered. (This can also be done with a mortar and pestle; in the absence of either, chop the herbs as finely as you can.) Add to the onion mix.
9. Puree garlic with 1 tablespoon or 6g pomace oil. Add to the onion mix and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat.
10. In a large bowl, add the beef mix, potatoes and onion mix, but do not mix yet. Add peas, Dijon mustard, crumbled Stilton cheese and gently fold in.
11. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
12. Cool overnight.

Assembling Whole Pies

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Roll two 140-gram balls of pastry dough into 7-inch circles to form the pie bases. Roll two 80-gram balls of pastry dough into 4-inch circles to form the pie tops.
3. Butter your pastry rings, then dust with flour, shaking off excess. Transfer pastry into pastry rings. (Ideally, use two 3 1⁄2” x 2 1⁄8” pastry rings with no bottom. Alternatively, use an extra large muffin tin.)
4. Fill each pie crust base just shy of the top. Gently brush water on pie tops and place on top of the base, then crimp along the edges. Bake for 25 minutes.
5. Whisk an egg yolk with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Remove the pie from the oven and brush the top with the egg mixture. Bake for an additional 25 minutes.
6. Remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

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