RV FEATURE
Steak and pepper, lamb, pork, kangaroo,
emu or humble, the pie is unassuming,
warming, and comforting. It’s Australia
wrapped in pastry.
While getting a good pie is relatively easy
when you’re at home, the trouble is finding
a good pie when you’re on the road. To get
some tips, I took a quick trip to the Fernvale
Bakery in the Brisbane Valley.
PIE HEAVEN
Fernvale Bakery’s Brad Gordon and Matthew
Brown have bagged more awards, trophies
and prizes for their culinary delights than
there are sesame seeds on a burger bun.
Here are their tips for finding a quality pie
when you’re on the road.
When it comes to pies, Matt says “to start
with you have to have quality meat and after
the meat is seasoned and cooked properly, you
have to have good pastry”.
Brad said the taste of travellers was
changing, with many travellers now also
looking for a gourmet pie experience. That
means “whatever meal you ever want to eat
should be in a pie”.
Pastry-wise, Matt said traditionally you
should find flaky pastry on the top of your
pie, with the bottom of the pie being a little
firmer but not too soft or too chewy. Brad
said a pie side that’s too chewy was a
“bit like biting into a brick”.
“On the other hand,” Matt interrupted,
“if the sides are too soft and it spills all over
your lap, that’s not cool.”
Fernvale Bakery owner Bill Rose believes
that few people understand the importance
of the quality of the flour. He said a good
baker understood that the quality of the
flour changed depending on the region from
which its wheat was grown, as well as changed
in flavour and quality according to the seasons.
He said the protein content of flour would
change in different seasons and that would
have an impact on the flour they chose to
make their pies in order to maintain a high-
quality product.
All of those considerations determine the
quality of the pie crust, and Matt said chewy
pastry left a nasty aftertaste that should
always be avoided.
Fernvale Bakery's Brad Gordon.
gorv.com.au
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