History Cookbook: Woolton Pie - Recipe 1 (With wholemeal pastry topping)

Healthiness : (26 votes)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes to cook vegtables, 25 minutes to cook the pie
Number of servings: 5-6 people
Serving suggestions: Serve with gravy


This recipe became one of the most famous in the war. Lord Woolton, Minister for Food, promoted it as a healthy meal choice. Alas though, it never really took off with the British public. Even with rationing and meagre portions, most people felt it was a step too far. The recipe became a wartime joke, with even rhymes made up about it.

For the pie:

• 1lb (450g) of diced potatoes
• 1lb (450g) cauliflower
• 1lb (450g) swede
• 1lb (450g) carrots
• 3 or 4 spring onions or some sliced onion
• 1 teaspoonful of vegetable extract;
• 1 tablespoon of oatmeal
• chopped parsley

For the pastry:
This pastry uses only flour and lard (no sugar or egg) for 6oz (170g) of pastry

• 4 oz (113.4g) of wholemeal flour
• 2 oz (56.7g) lard

• Weighing scales
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon
• Saucepan
• Pie dish
• Bowl
• Rolling pin

Always wash your hands before preparing food.

For the pie:

1. Dice up the vegetables
2. Place in a saucepan with just enough water to cover
3. Add the oatmeal and vegetable extract and stir
4. Cook for 10-15 minutes
5. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking
6. Remove any excess water and allow to cool
7. Put the vegetables into a pie dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley
8. Cover with wholemeal pastry
9. Bake in a moderate oven until the pastry is nicely brown and serve hot

For the pastry:

1. Place the flour into a bowl
2. Cut up the lard and rub into the flour with your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb like consistency
3. Add a tablespoon of water to make dough
4. Roll out very thinly

The vegetables, when chopped up, are very bulky. I had to use two saucepans to cook the amount produced. You many want to use ½ lb of each vegetable, unless you are cooking for 5 or 6 people