REVIEW Pie reviews

this thread is horrible - I've skipped breaky and lunch so far today. shouldn't have clicked but did.

 

Wardell Pies on the North Coast are very good. Get them in Wardell but you can also get them from the servos in Lennox and Suffolk Park.
Little tip you turn them upside down to put sauce on them and they don't fall apart

 

No specific shop to mention but in Tasmania they have curried scallop pies

Real scallops like the the bivalve things in shells you get out of the ocean, thought this is sacrilege when I first saw one in a Tassie pie shop I would rather cook them in white wine with butter and garlic

But the concept is good, still quite a few family owned bakeries down there in small towns who make traditional pies, if going for the scallop look for one not to far away from a fishing port

 

When I was there last, I gobbled down quite a few "raspberry housecakes" from a bakery chain called "Banjos". Raspberries aren't that common here, you can get them but they are expensive and not everywhere so when I can gobble them, I do. I think I had pies as well, but I don't remember what. They were nice though, the dogs didn't get them.

 

If my health agreed, I would simply live on pies and other pastries.

Once place I haven't been to in years, but is very very good, is;

https://www.pieinthesky.com.au/

It's on the way up the coast from Sydney, but the old Pacific Hwy route, just past Cowan.

Look at 'dem amazing prices too!



JSmith

 

While I'm sure it's not the best (despite winning "best pie" year after year in what is probably pay-to-enter contest), Country Cob really is fantastic

Best part is, they deliver. So I can keep a pile in the freezer. It's $8 a pie, but it's worth it over the supermarket stuff. I also get the smell of the warming pie without having to leave the house, so it's pretty great when working from home.

 

Not that it matters much... never been keen on a square pie.



JSmith

 

I am glad someone mentioned that, even thou I am not a fan of scallops. I dont think I have seen them outside of Tassie. Jackman and and Mcross make a nice range of pies and since covid, sell them at some IGAs. There relish is quite good to.

 

Yep.. they are right up there...

but if you want to find absolute pie nirvana... Hayden's Pies in Ulladulla..

The.
Best.
Chunky.
Steak.
Pie.
Bar.
None.

 

The fish amok pies they do are unreal. The prices are high but reflected in the quality I think.

 

Anybody who shops and knows what things costs knows how much it costs to make a pie with "proper" ingredients. They can churn out cheap pies when they are full of guts and miscellaneous bits, but not when it's full of good quality hunks. And proper pastry made with butter is also more expensive than flour glooped together with liquified bum fat or something.

 

Gold...



JSmith

 

Yeah I bought their $17 pie once but it was full of probably 100g of big chunks of lobster, shit was amazing.

Edit: It's worth a trip to Kyneton to go to the bakery itself if you are in Vic, there's a really good wholesale butcher called Hardwicks up there to that basically pays for the trip if you buy a lot of meat.

 

I think you've given me the reason I need to go back.
I was born in Mollymook & used to holiday down there a lot but haven't been in 10 years or so now.

 

I mean the last time I made a lamb pie for instance, and this was just with cheap storebought crust too, not my really good beef suet based pie crust, it would have cost easily $30 in ingredients. Was most of a shoulder of lamb I deboned and diced myself, and then add on the rest. Obligatory photo:

 

Gumtree pies from yackendandah.


The lamb and mint jelly is absolutely perfection.

 

Well that explains a few things.

Love the fact that it's just a big fucking lump of shredded lamb shoulder chunks encased in pastry, forget the sides, get into it. Outstanding.

Also, I know that the poms love their fish/seafood pies (notable amongst other regional cuisines too), but...
Is putting fish or scallops into a pie actually a legal act in Australia? Not a lawyer, will have to do some research into this.

 

Sure it is. Those scallop pies are popular in Tassie. We should have them all over the place, but they export our fish so it costs a lot of money for us to buy it so we aren't commonly shoving it in pies. Aside from the "gourmet" type pies, they make pies out of "scraps", not the good stuff...

I don't like seafood/shellfish and if I had a decent bit of fish, I'd probably just want it without pastry, but I can imagine some really nice hunks in a mornay sauce would be nice in a pie. For people who like crayfish/lobster, that lobster pie would be nice. Same deal, quality hunks in a nice mornay sauce.

Have you ever watched Pie in the Sky the tv show? Henry made a "stargazey" pie in one episode. Maybe one of you chef types should give one a go and report back.

 

Looks tasty... but for me, more gravy needed, she looks a bit dry.



JSmith

 

I don't think so, but you could always whack some butter on it.