A easy hen pie is a simple solution to clear up a weeknight dinner, and there’s one that may ship on flavour, worth and measurement.
The results of this style check shocked me (Picture: Emilia Randall)
Typically the best weeknight dinner is not a takeaway or a fast pasta – it is the common-or-garden pie.
We now have been a rustic of pie fanatics for a lot of tons of of years. From fruit-laden to suet-crusted pies have been on the British menu since at the least the thirteenth century.
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Rooster pie is a crowd-pleaser, but when executed mistaken, it could possibly flip your night bitter – as I do know now all too effectively. To make sure you don’t undergo a hen pie disappointment, I’ve examined all of the grocery store hen pies that can assist you determine the place to place your cash.
I checked out steak pies from MandS, Waitrose, Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Tescos to seek out out which hen pie delivers greatest on worth and style.
The winner was clear from the primary spoonful – and it’ll come as a welcome shock to your pockets. I used to be on the lookout for crumbly pastry, a very good flavour, and worth in portion measurement – all of those pie costs are for 2.
Marks and Spencer is considerably of a UK nationwide treasure, however this comes at a premium. As the most costly pie by fairly some margin, I used to be anticipating the Gastropub Rooster, leek and smoked bacon pie to be the perfect. It was scrumptious, however one other pie’s efficiency eclipsed it for a fraction of the worth.
Of all of the pies, the leek and bacon varieties have been undoubtedly extra flavourful than the traditional hen pies. This was scrumptious.
The cooking directions have been correct, and it was completely cooked via. The pastry was flaky, and there was no soggy backside. The sesame additionally made for a pleasant pop of flavour on the crust.
Here is the game-changer: Aldi’s hen, bacon and leek pie tastes precisely the identical because the MandS pie to me.
As a bonus, its over £3 cheaper.
The Aldi pie has a really comparable wealthy flavour , a very good quantity of hen and bacon content material, and a powerful pastry with sesame seeds on prime.
It got here out with an ideal golden crust and the primary mouthful persuaded me this was a contender for the highest spot.
The Waitrose pie (left) didn’t get anyplace close to the style of the Aldi pie (proper) (Picture: Emilia Randall)
It simply fed two folks with a facet of veg and would make for a simple, low-cost weeknight dinner if you cannot be bothered to slave over an oven for hours.
Waitrose delivered, but it surely was a really mediocre, but strong supply. There was a very good quantity of hen, bacon and leek within the filling – however the flavour was not fairly there.
The pastry was good, and it cooked effectively. Nonetheless, I felt this was just a bit bland despite the fact that the worth was affordable.
This did not burn – it cooked effectively within the oven, however apart from this, it was pretty unremarkable.
This was unhealthy. The filling was simply the worst – it was watery and gelatinous. There was hardly any hen in it and the pastry burnt regardless of me following the cooking directions to a tee.
For £4.00 that is the most affordable pie however it’s definitely not well worth the pound low cost. It tasted of little or no, and the underside was soggy. This pie wants to return to the drafting board.
This was the one shortcrust pastry pie, and it was a pleasant change from the everyday puff pastry – making it really feel extra like a considerable, conventional British pie.
Tesco says this feeds three, though it’s a very comparable measurement to the portion for 2 pies above. If you wish to go for one of many cheaper pies it is a strong alternative.
The flavour was good, the pastry was scrumptious and effectively cooked via and there was a good quantity of hen within the filling. I might purchase this once more.
It’s clear for me who’s a winner and a looser. Aldi is in first place. I could not inform it aside from the MandS pie, it was scrumptious and solely £4.99.
The Tesco model was extra of a standard pie (Picture: Emilia Randall)
Tesco is subsequent in line for each worth and style. This was the second least expensive pie, however delivered on flavour, measurement, and pastry high quality.
MandS adopted subsequent. I used to be shocked as I anticipated this to carry out higher as a consequence of it being the most costly – however because it was so much like the Aldi pie I can’t warrant rating it in my prime two.
Then it was Waitrose – this was a strong pie however nothing to put in writing house about, however was cheaper than MandS and just one penny greater than Aldi.
In final place – it is vitally firmly Sainsbury’s. The flavour was terrible, the pastry burnt, and it had hardly any filling. This can be a very good case examine in getting what you pay for.
Extra surprisingly nonetheless, Waitrose was cheaper than MandS and Tesco and delivered the perfect pie.Should you’re aiming for an inexpensive nationwide pie week dinner in, I might advocate Aldi’s pie wholeheartedly.
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