Pork Pie

A mouth waterinf recipe for pork pie

Freezes OK, but not longer than a month!

Ingredients:

Hot water crust-

125ml / 4 fl oz water

125 g / 4 oz lard

275 g/ 10 oz strong plain flour

1/2 level teaspoon salt

1 small beaten egg

Filling -

450 g/ 1 lb pork from the shoulder which should give roughly 325 g/ 3/4 lb lean & 125 g/ 1/4 lb fat

2 level teaspoons salt and pepper mix

1/4 level teaspoon powdered mace if available

Jelly -

1 pigs trotter

1 bay leaf

6 peppercorns

Method:

1. Prepare jelly a day in advance. Boil trotter with bay leaf and peppercorns in 600 ml/ 1 pint of water for about 3 hours until quite soft and leaving the bone

2. Strain liquid into a basin and leave over night (150 ml/ 1/4 pint is enough for one pie)

3. Remove any fat from the top. If jelly has not set, simmer gently to reduce amount. Discard trotter

4. Now make the pastry. Boil water and lard, pour on to flour and salt. Mix with a knife (it will be hot) then knead with hands until quite smooth. Allow to cool a little before rolling out.

5. Now mix the filling. Trim the gristle from pork which will reduce it to 400 to 425 g/14 oz. Cut into very small pieces and mix in the seasonings. Or, using coarse cutters, put the pork and seasonings through a mincer.

6. Roll out 3/4 of the pastry to fit a loose bottomed tin, 15 cm/6 ins across and 8 cm/3 ins deep, pressing the pastry round sides to make an even thickness.

7. Pack filling in loosely.

8. Roll out lid to fit, brushing edges with beaten egg. Seal firmly. Cut away surplus.

9. Roll the surplus out thinly and cut into leaves. Brush these with beaten egg and arrange on top of pie.

10. Flute edges of pie and brush all over top of pie with beaten egg.

11. Make a hole in the centre of the lid with a skewer.

12. Bake in a moderate oven, Gas 6, 400 degreesF, 200 degreesC, for 30 minutes. Reduce heat if browning too quickly to Gas 5, 373 degreesF, 190 degreesC, and bake for a further 1 hour.

13. Remove from tin onto a wire rack.

14. Boil up the jelly.

15. Allow pie and jelly to cool for 15 minutes. Using a small funnel, gently poor jelly through the hole in the centre of the lid, as much as it will hold. When jelly has settled into the meat, add a little more for extra moistness.

For best flavour leave for 24 hours before eating.

The Village Kitchen