Pork Pie

Pork Pie
From Pob

OK this recipe takes a while so don't start if you if you haven't got at least a couple of hours to spare. You can substitute different fillings such as chicken or turkey instead of pork (not tried it yet) and you can add in other things like herbs and spices (I did one with a layer of apricots in it, very nice). You'll need a 6.5" cake tin with a loose bottom, greased and lined with baking parchment (foil will stick) and placed on a tray.

1. The Filling
Cut the meat into approx 1 cm pieces (easier if half frozen) discarding most of the fat. Mix in your seasoning and 125ml of stock, it's worth having a little extra filling and so you can cook and test little bits to check that you've got your seasoning right.

2. The Pastry
In a saucepan place 180ml water (or water and milk if you prefer) and the lard or olive oil (olive oil is much nicer imho) and bring to the boil.
In a bowl place the flour and pinch of salt, pour in the hot water/fat mix and mix into a dough (Don't burn your fingers!). Knead until smooth, don't let it go cold. Cut of a quarter of the dough and set aside somewhere warm for the lid. Mould the dough into the tin making sure there are no holes at any point.

3.Assembly
Pack the filling tightly into the case leaving about 1cm space at the top, make a lid out of the last bit of pastry and seal well onto the top of the pie. Make a central hole about .5cm wide as a breather. Decorate the lid with spare pastry shapes if you like and make a fancy edging if you can be bothered.
Bake for an hour at 220°C (430°F). Glaze the top with egg and turn the heat down to 180°C (360°F) and continue cooking until done (about an hour). Test with a skewer, it should feel tender. Keep an eye on it as it may need covering to prevent the pastry burning.

4.Finishing
Allow the cooked pie to cool sufficiently to take it out of the tin. Heat (not boil) the remaining stock and add the gelatine as per the instructions on the packet. Stir until dissolved. It might be worth making some more small holes round the edge of the pie top at this point. Pour the syrup into the pie through the central hole, into the pie (run it down a skewer), this is where you find out if you had any holes in your pastry case (makes a big mess). Keep adding the stock until it overflows and then refrigerate.

Yes it takes ages, but it tastes far better than any store bought pie.