A easy hen pie is a straightforward approach to remedy a weeknight dinner, and there’s one that may ship on flavour, worth and dimension.
The results of this style check shocked me (Picture: Emilia Randall)
Generally the simplest weeknight dinner isn’t a takeaway or a fast pasta – it is the common-or-garden pie.
Now we have been a rustic of pie lovers for a lot of a whole bunch of years. From fruit-laden to suet-crusted pies had been on the British menu since at the very least the thirteenth century.
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Rooster pie is a crowd-pleaser, but when performed 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 will help you resolve the place to place your cash.
I checked out steak pies from M&S, 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 in search of crumbly pastry, a great flavour, and worth in portion dimension – all of those pie costs are for 2.
The Waitrose pie (left) didn’t get wherever close to the style of the Aldi pie (proper) (Picture: Emilia Randall)
M&S – £8.00
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 value.
Of all of the pies, the leek and bacon varieties had been positively extra flavourful than the basic hen pies. This was scrumptious.
The cooking directions had 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.
Aldi – £4.99
Right here’s the game-changer: Aldi’s hen, bacon and leek pie tastes precisely the identical because the M&S pie to me.
As a bonus, its over £3 cheaper.
The Aldi pie has a really related wealthy flavour , a great quantity of hen and bacon content material, and a robust pastry with sesame seeds on high.
It got here out with an ideal golden crust and the primary mouthful persuaded me this was a contender for the highest spot.
It simply fed two individuals with a aspect of veg and would make for a straightforward, low-cost weeknight dinner in case you can’t be bothered to slave over an oven for hours.
Waitrose -£5.00
Waitrose delivered, but it surely was a really mediocre, but stable supply. There was a great 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 regardless that the value was affordable.
This didn’t burn – it cooked effectively within the oven, however apart from this, it was pretty unremarkable.
Sainsburys – £4.00
The Sainsbury’s pie was watery (Picture: Emilia Randall)
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 cost effective pie however it’s actually 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.
Tesco -£4.25
The Tesco model was extra of a standard pie (Picture: Emilia Randall)
This was the one shortcrust pastry pie, and it was a pleasant change from the standard puff pastry – making it really feel extra like a considerable, conventional British pie.
Tesco says this feeds three, though it’s a very related dimension to the portion for 2 pies above. If you wish to go for one of many cheaper pies it is a stable selection.
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 couldn’t inform it other than the M&S pie, it was scrumptious and solely £4.99.
Tesco is subsequent in line for each worth and style. This was the second most cost-effective pie, however delivered on flavour, dimension, and pastry high quality.
M&S adopted subsequent. I used to be shocked as I anticipated this to carry out higher resulting from it being the most costly – however because it was so just like the Aldi pie I can’t warrant rating it in my high two.
Then it was Waitrose – this was a stable pie however nothing to put in writing dwelling about, however was cheaper than M&S and just one penny greater than Aldi.
In final place – it is extremely firmly Sainsbury’s. The flavour was terrible, the pastry burnt, and it had hardly any filling. This can be a great case examine in getting what you pay for.
Extra surprisingly nonetheless, Waitrose was cheaper than M&S and Tesco and delivered the perfect pie.When you’re aiming for an reasonably priced nationwide pie week dinner in, I might suggest Aldi’s pie wholeheartedly.
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