Michael Weldon's food trends July 2022

Perhaps because of the cold weather or our penchant for comfort food, pies are a big trend in food. And while we love the classic meat pie, different varieties and cooking styles are elevating this humble dish to a new and exciting level.

From pies, pasties and sausage rolls to fancy wellingtons (think beef) or “en croutes” (which simply means baked in a pastry crust), pastry is one of those ingredients we all know and love.

The filling is the most exciting change in pies. On the latest MasterChef series we saw fillings including curried scallops and quail egg, and the recent “best pie” winner of the Baking Association of Australia was a mushroom and truffle combo.

We’re also seeing pies come into their own in restaurants. Dishes such as Beef Wellington are making a comeback, and world-leading Australian seafood chef Josh Niland has introduced a Tuna Wellington to his menu.

Coles Ambassador Luke Mangan sold thousands of pies during the COVID-19 lockdown to support his restaurants (they are still selling strongly) and Coles chef Curtis Stone even changed one of his Los Angeles restaurants into a pie shop during the pandemic.

Here are three recipes for you to try: they are simple, delicious, and celebrate pastry in all its forms, inspired by what I see in bakeries and restaurants in Australia and around the world. You can have a lot of fun by either cooking the recipes as they are, or using them as guide a to make your own delicious dishes wrapped in pastry. Happy eating!