WWI Potato Pie

Mashed potatoes over a corned beef and onion filling with gravy

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City/Region: United Kingdom

Time Period: 1914

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Many of the young men headed to fight in World War I didn’t already know how to cook, so the British government set up army schools of cookery to teach some of them how to make the most of the rations they were given. Even that ancient army standby, hardtack (clack clack), is better when you can cook it into a stew or pudding. 

This potato pie, kind of a simplified preserved meat version of shepherd’s pie, isn’t half bad. If I were to make changes, I would leave out the additional salt (canned corned beef is plenty salty on its own) and add some more onions. While relatively tasty as-is, if you have any HP Sauce lying around, it makes this pie delicious, and many troops would have had access to it during World War I. Delicious and historically accurate: a win-win!

“Potato Pie.
16 1/2 lbs. meat, 20 lbs. potatoes, 1 lb. onions, 3 ozs. salt, 1/2 oz. of pepper.
Cut up and stew the onions with jelly from the meat added; boil or steam the potatoes; when cooked mash them. Line the sides of the dish with one-third of the mashed potatoes; place the meat and cooked onions in the centre; season with pepper and salt; cover over the remainder of the mashed potatoes, and bake till the potato cover is brown. As the mashed potatoes absorb the moisture of the meat and render it dry, about 2 pints of gravy prepared from the liquor in which the onions were cooked, should be poured into the pie before serving.”

— Manual of Military Cooking. Prepared at the Army School of Cookery, 1914

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Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs (1.1 kg) potatoes, I used russet
• 2 lbs (925 g) tinned corned beef
• 2 oz (55 g) diced onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt*
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

*Salt is in the historical recipe, but I found that the corned beef is salty enough on its own. Use the additional salt or not as you like.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Peel the potatoes if you’d like. Chop them into about 1 inch (3 cm) cubes and place them in a large pot. Cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Boil for about 20 minutes or until they’re very soft. Drain the potatoes, then mash them.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, you can also cook the onions. Gather up all of the gelatin that’s attached to the corned beef and any that’s left inside the can. Combine this with the onions and about 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water in a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over low heat and cook until the onions are translucent, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the onions, reserving the liquid for later.
4. In a bowl, mash up the corned beef and mix in the salt (if you're using it) and pepper. Mix in the drained onions until they’re well incorporated.
5. Take 1/3 of the mashed potatoes and press them around the edges of an 8”(20 cm) square baking pan. Leave the bottom of the pan bare.
6. Spread the corned beef mixture evenly into the pan, making sure to get it into the corners.
7. Spread the rest of the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling, just like a shepherd’s pie. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the potatoes are golden brown.
8. While the pie bakes, make the gravy by heating the reserved liquid from cooking the onions in a pot. Add the butter and let it melt completely.
9. Combine the cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry, then stir it into the simmering liquid. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened.
10. Serve the pie forth with some of the gravy poured over the top.

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