The Difference between a British Pie and an American Pie

Cinisajoy said:
Every pot pie made in the US has a bottom. Well now, some home cooks may leave off the bottom or top crust but I can assure you that every factory made pot pie has a bottom crust or it could not be called a pie in the US. And to be called a pot pie, it has to have a shortening based bottom crust.
The pot pies here in the US were originally designed to be eaten on the go so they needed a shell to keep it in.
Otherwise the company could be sued for false advertising.
You have to have a lid, we have to have a bottom to be a pie.
What you call a pie, we call a casserole or a cobbler if it is sweet. And might I add I like the UK idea better.
No soggy bottoms.

I have seen shepherd's pies with both top and bottom layers of mashed potatoes. It is the only exception.

And yes you are semi-correct in most sweet pies don't have a lid. Though many do have a top usually meringue or whipped cream.
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Heh! Sorry if I got it wrong. I had this idea that pot pies were pies cooked in a pot with a pastry crust on top. I stand corrected! I was basing this on pictures and recipes I'd seen.
 
morning glory said:
Heh! Sorry if I got it wrong. I had this idea that pot pies were pies cooked in a pot with a pastry crust on top. I stand corrected! I was basing this on pictures and recipes I'd seen.
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Well now I will say they hide the bottom crust in the pan.
Personally I find pot pies of the American version awful.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
In this version, the pie crust is simply on the top of the pie dish. It is the dish that holds it all together (rather common). You could if you wanted to, line the pie dish with puff pastry first, cook the pastry until thoroughly cooked and then add the filling, sauce and pie lid, but I still think the pastry would go soggy. However, that is how a lot of pies are served in the UK, with soggy bottoms :giggle:
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Love the sound of the filling, but I can't agree on the pastry though! I'm not a huge fan of puff pastry pies, especially those with just a lid on - reminds me of those ghastly things served up by large chain pubs in the UK under the guise of "Pie & Chips" - filling and puff pastry lid made in different factories, frozen then combined for a quick blast in the microwave before serving. On the other hand, Pukka pies, probably the cheapest incarnation on the UK pie, as served in most chip shops, I adore - but then they do have soggy bottoms. Shortcrust, preferably suet pastry every time, top or bottom!
 
Seems to me to be a choice of the cook. Over here we have pork pies [with] steak pie [some with some without] apple pies [usually with bottoms] that can have lattice tops solid tops or no tops and I suspect it's pretty much the same over in the USA.
PS - who cares so long as it tastes good ?
 
morning glory said:
The reason I thought 'pot pies' didn't have a bottom crust is that I saw a programme where Ina Garten makes one and she only used a top crust. Recipe here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-pot-pie-recipe.html

I also found this recipe from The Pioneer Woman which also doesn't have a bottom crust. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/pot-pie/

So perhaps it just varies? There are plenty of pot pie recipes which do have bottom crusts, of course.
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Please do not use our celebrity chefs as any kind of actual American cooking.
Many times their ideas and what is in an actual kitchen are two totally different things. (That could be it's own thread.)
For real recipes please use Allrecipes, Food.Com and Taste of Home. Those are by actual cooks who don't have a staff.

But then again I forget I speak more southern than the rest of the US. So there might be some places you can find a bottomless pot pie but it won't be in my neck of the woods.
Down here they would ask you where the crust is.
 
I just checked out Taste of Home. Some good recipes! But... I hate to say this. :ohmy: I did a search on Taste of Home for pot pies:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/search/index?search=pot+pies

Out of their top 10 pot pies recipes, only 3 had a bottom crust..... (runs off to hide).

I think I'll just go with @sidevalve on this... what does it matter if it tastes good? :happy:
 
morning glory said:
I just checked out Taste of Home. Some good recipes! But... I hate to say this. :ohmy: I did a search on Taste of Home for pot pies:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/search/index?search=pot+pies

Out of their top 10 pot pies recipes, only 3 had a bottom crust..... (runs off to hide).

I think I'll just go with @sidevalve on this... what does it matter if it tastes good? :happy:
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In that case, I would say it is more a regional thing than a US thing. I forget how big the US is.

Though I will say a pecan pie has to have pecans.
And willing to concede that pie means anything with a crust of some sort.
So no need to hide.

Just thought of something else that might be relevant. I have noticed that you have fairly rigid definitions for many things.
Two examples are spices and pies.
Where here one word can mean many different things or encompass several things that you would have different words for.

Not to mention all the regional stuff like gravy which has totally different ingredients depending on where you are in this vast country.
 
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