Since I’m not allowed to cook kangaroo steaks, here’s a recipe for a completely different Australian masterpiece: the pie floater, South Australia’s gift to the culinary world. Imagine if you will: flaky pie crust, filled with seasoned ground meat and vegetables like leeks, carrots, and celery. So sort of like a beef or lamb pot pie. This is then floated in a bowl of bright green pea soup and served with a dollop of tomato sauce on top. Yep. I don’t understand it either. 

 

But let’s try!  This is, without question, the best recipe I’ve found.  Mainly because it’s the only one that makes each part of the floater individually; many say "Pick up a meat pie at the butcher's" - a silly thing to say when you live in the 99% of countries who don't have meat pie-selling butchers.  It also doesn’t require mediocre tomato sauce, because why?  I’m translating this from the original Australian English.

 

INGREDIENTS

Part I:

• 1 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1⁄4 cup tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups beer (good beer - not Fosters)

• 1 1⁄2 cups chicken stock

• 2 teaspoons Vegemite (use Marmite if Vegemite not available)

• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Part II:

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

• 1⁄2 yellow onion, extra, finely chopped

• 1/4 lb potato, peeled, finely chopped

• 2 cups frozen peas

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

• 3 cups chicken stock

Part III:

• 4 sheets frozen butter puff pastry, just thawed

• 1 tablespoon creme fraiche

 

STEPS

Part I:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook for 5 minutes.

2. Increase heat to high. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the ground beef starts to brown.

3. Add tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Add beer and stir. Add stock and Vegemite. Simmer for 30 minutes until thickened.

5. Add parsley. Set aside to cool.

 

Part II:

1. While the ground meat mixture is simmering, heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add extra onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

3. Add potato, peas, mint and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potato is soft.

4. Cool slightly. Blend with a hand blender.

 

Part III:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Preheat oven tray on lowest shelf.

2. Use a pizza cutter to cut a disc from the corner of 4 pastry sheets.

3. Ease remaining pastry into four 4-inch (10cm) diameter round springform pans. Divide ground beef mixture among pans.

4. Top each with a pastry disc. Press to seal edges. Trim excess.

5. Cut 2 slits on each pie top. Place on tray. Bake for 15 minutes.

6. Transfer tray to top shelf. Cook for 15 minutes until golden.

7. Return soup to medium-high heat. Add creme fraiche. Simmer until warmed though.

8. Divide soup among 4 bowls. Top with pies.

 

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/pie-floaters/19fe25ad-7203-40ce-a4a7-e2f1821e791a

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Photo from taste.com.au as well.