Here’s a recipe for Scottish Hand Pies (also called Scotch pies or savory meat pies) — small, individual, flaky pies traditionally filled with minced meat and spices.
🥧 Ingredients (makes 6–8 pies)
Pastry
- 2 ½ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg
- 3–4 tbsp cold water
Filling
- 1 lb (≈ 450 g) minced beef or lamb
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional, traditional)
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the pastry
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Rub in cold butter with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Beat the egg and add to the mixture along with enough cold water to form a firm dough.
- Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the filling
- In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic until softened.
- Add minced meat, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until browned.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Assemble the pies
- Preheat oven to 200 °C (390 °F).
- Roll out pastry to about 3–4 mm thickness.
- Cut circles slightly larger than your pie tins or muffin tins (about 10 cm/4 in).
- Line tins with pastry circles.
- Spoon filling into each pastry case.
- Cut slightly smaller circles for the tops, place over the filling, and crimp edges to seal.
- Brush tops with beaten egg.
4. Bake
- Bake in preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow pies to cool for a few minutes before removing from tins.
🍴 Tips & Variations
- Meat options: Lamb or a mix of beef and lamb works well.
- Spices: Traditional Scotch pies sometimes include mace, allspice, or cayenne for subtle warmth.
- Vegetarian option: Substitute meat with mushrooms, lentils, or a mix of root vegetables.
- Serving: Hand pies are perfect warm or at room temperature with a side of mashed potatoes or gravy.
I can also make a version using Pakistani ingredients — like using minced beef or lamb, spices like garam masala, and paratha dough instead of pastry — for a local twist that’s easier to make at home.
Do you want me to do that?
