Torta tal-Bulu Bijf (Maltese Corned-Beef Pie)
A Maltese shortcrust pie with tinned corned beef, potato, carrot, onion and concentrated kunserva in a firm, savoury filling.
Ingredients
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- Make the pastry: Mix flour and pastry salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold water gradually until a dough just comes together. Divide into two pieces, one slightly larger, flatten, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook the potatoes: Cover the potatoes with water, bring to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain well, let the steam escape, then mash roughly without adding butter or milk.
- Soften the vegetables: While the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a wide pan. Add onion, carrots and 60ml water. Cover and cook gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrot is tender. Add a little more water only if needed. Uncover and evaporate any liquid left in the pan.
- Finish the filling: Stir kunserva into the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Break in the corned beef and stir for 3-5 minutes until evenly distributed. Fold in the roughly mashed potato and pepper. Taste before adding any salt. Spread in a shallow dish and cool completely.
- Assemble: Heat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C), with a metal baking tray inside. Roll out the larger pastry piece to about 3mm and line a deep 24cm metal pie tin. Spoon in the cold filling and level without packing it tightly. Brush the rim with egg. Roll out the lid, cover, seal and crimp the edges. Cut two steam vents and brush with egg.
- Bake: Put the pie on the hot tray and bake for 55-65 minutes until golden, with cooked pastry underneath and the filling piping hot. Shield the top loosely with foil if it colours too quickly. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Tinned Corned Beef and Kunserva
Use the familiar cooked corned beef sold in tins, which breaks into small pieces as it warms. Sliced deli corned beef and a raw cured beef joint behave differently and do not replace it directly in this method.
Kunserva is concentrated tomato paste. It colours and seasons the filling without adding a large amount of liquid. Cook it briefly with the vegetables before stirring in the meat.
Let the Filling Cool
The carrot should be tender before you add the corned beef. Dice it small and use the measured water to soften it gently, then evaporate the liquid. The potatoes should bind the mixture while leaving a little texture.
Cool the cooked filling in a shallow dish before assembly. You can make it the day before, cool promptly and refrigerate overnight. Keep the pastry chilled while the filling cools.
For other family bakes, use Maltese baking and pastry or the Sunday lunch collection.
Keeping and Reheating
Refrigerate leftover pie within two hours and eat within two days, or freeze portions. Thaw frozen slices in the fridge and reheat until piping hot throughout. An oven helps crisp the pastry again; cover the top if it browns before the middle is hot.