Squab pie facts for kids
A squab pie, before pastry added
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| Course | Main |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Region or state | South West England |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Lamb, Apples |
Squab pie is a traditional dish from South West England in the United Kingdom. Even though its name sounds like it has "squab" (which is a young domestic pigeon), this pie actually contains lamb or mutton and apples. It's a bit of a surprise!
In the 1900s, people ate this pie around the world. But outside of South West England, it usually did contain pigeon.
Contents
What is Squab Pie?
Squab pie is a type of mutton pie. It has a shortcrust pastry lid on top. To make it, you layer sliced onions, then apples, and then mutton chops. You add some water, cover it with pastry, and bake it for about two hours.
Where Did It Come From?
No one knows exactly where squab pie was first made. But it definitely started somewhere in South West England. Some say it began in Gloucestershire, Devon, or Cornwall.
It seems that squab pie might have originally contained pigeons. However, people started using mutton and apples instead way back in 1737. This recipe has been used in cookbooks ever since.
Some people think the name "squab pie" is short for "squabble pie." This idea comes from a disagreement over whether to make a meat pie or an apple pie.
Different Ways to Make It
There are many ways to make squab pie in England. While it traditionally uses mutton, the name can also mean a pie with many different ingredients, like a "scraps pie."
- In Devon, squab pie can be served with clotted cream.
- Sometimes, people use lamb instead of mutton.
- A recipe from Gloucester suggests using any leftover meat.
- The famous writer Agatha Christie had a version that included hard-boiled eggs.
Outside of England, squab pie often really does contain squab (pigeon). In America, it's the same as a pigeon pie.
How People Feel About Squab Pie
In 2009, not many British teenagers had tried squab pie. It's even been called an "at risk" British classic, meaning it might disappear.
The writer Charles Dickens once wrote that squab pie was "detestable." He said it was made of "fat clumsy mutton chops, embedded in layers of sliced apples, shredded onions, and — O tempora! O mores! — brown sugar!" He felt it made people feel sick and unsociable.
However, not everyone disliked it. Someone named Gallynipper used squab pie as a way to describe New York City. He said New York was like a squab pie because it had many different things in it, but it was still "a wonder and a success."
Squab Pie in Poems
Squab pie has even been written about in poems!
- In 1827, a poet named John Taylor wrote "The Squab-Pie. A Devonshire Tale." It tells a story about a captain who forgot to get meat for his trip. A boy on the ship gets a large squab pie from a bakery by mistake. The poem teaches a lesson about not trying to avoid cooking on Sunday by having someone else cook for you.
- In 1846, a man from Bodmin, Cornwall, wrote a poem listing the ingredients: "Then in parts minutely nice / Soft and fragrant apples slice / With its dainty flesh, the sheep / Next must swell the luscious heap / Then the onions savory juice / Sprinkle not with hand profuse."
- In 1911, the Devon author William Crossing shared a short folk rhyme: "Mutton, onions, apples and dough, Make a good pie as any I know."
- The song "Glorious Devon" from 1905 praises several Devonshire foods, including "Squab pie, junket and cider brew, Richest cream of the cow."
The Devil and Cornish Pies
There's a fun legend about why the Devil never came to Cornwall. It's linked to squab pie and other unusual Cornish pies.
In a book about Cornish traditions, Robert Hunt explains the story. The Devil crossed the River Tamar into Cornwall. But he saw that the people of Cornwall would put anything into a pie! He decided to leave quickly before they got the idea to put a "devilly" pie together. So, he went back to Devon.
Images for kids
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A squab pie, before pastry added
