Pie Floater

Pie Floater

A classic South Australian dish from Adelaide: a meat pie served floating in a thick, green split-pea soup and topped with tomato sauce and mashed potato. Traditionally eaten for breakfast or lunch.

Prep

15 min

Cook

120 min

Total

135 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) dried green split peas, rinsed and picked over
• •1.2 L (5 cups) beef or chicken stock, low-sodium
• •1 whole (1 medium) brown onion, roughly chopped
• •1 whole (1 small) carrot, roughly chopped
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) beef mince, not too lean
• •1 whole (1 medium) brown onion, finely diced
• •2 tbsp beef dripping or oil
• •2 tbsp plain flour
• •250 ml (1 cup) beef stock, for filling
• •1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• •1 tsp tomato sauce, Australian-style, for filling
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) salt, plus more to taste
• •0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) black pepper
• •4 whole Australian-style meat pies, individual pies, ideally shortcrust base with flaky lid, about 150 g each
• •1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, optional, to top the bowl
• •400 g (14 oz) potatoes, for mash
• •60 ml (¼ cup) milk, warm, for mash
• •30 g (2 tbsp) butter, for mash
• •tomato sauce (ketchup), to serve, Australian brand preferred
• •salt and pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Make the pea soup: combine rinsed split peas, stock, chopped onion, carrot and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover loosely and cook 75–90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very soft and breaking down.
2. 2 Remove the bay leaf and roughly blend the soup with a stick blender to a thick, pourable porridge consistency — thick enough to support a floating pie but not a solid mass. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm on low heat.
3. 3 Meanwhile, make the filling (if your pies are not already filled; skip if using bought cooked pies): heat dripping in a pan over medium-high, sauté diced onion 4–5 minutes until soft. Add mince, breaking it up, and brown well — cook until no pink remains and liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
4. 4 Stir flour through the mince and cook 1 minute. Pour in stock, add Worcestershire, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer 8–10 minutes until thickened to a spoonable consistency. Cool slightly.
5. 5 Bake the pies according to package directions until the pastry is deep golden and the filling reaches an internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F (insert a thermometer through the vent). If using puff pastry lids, drape a circle of puff over each pie, seal and bake at 220°C / 425°F for 15–18 minutes until puffed and golden.
6. 6 Boil potatoes in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes). Drain, return to the pot, add butter and warm milk, and mash until smooth. Season to taste and keep warm.
7. 7 To serve: ladle a generous pool of hot pea soup into each wide, shallow bowl. Place a hot meat pie gently in the centre — it should sit half-floating, half-submerged. Crown with a generous spoonful of mashed potato, then drizzle with tomato sauce in a zig-zag pattern. Serve immediately while the soup is piping hot.