B
Beryl M
Guest
Pork pie recipe for the industrious
History
The earliest recorded recipe for pork pie dates back to the 14th Century. To the taste then, it was seasoned with nutmeg, mace, and raisins, and the coffin (their word for crust) was topped up inside with melted butter. Pork pie is still a British favourite and it is most popular of all in the "pork-pie belt" that stretches across the Midlands from Nottingham to the border of Wales. There are many versions -- the Cheshire pork pie, made with apples, is especially fine -- but the most famous of all is the Melton Mowbray raised pork pie, crammed with sage-flecked, tiny chinks of pork, glistening in rich jelly, and encased in a freestanding, crisp, golden crust. This robust pie is justly famous for its juicy, jellied filling.
The pies were originally served at high tea after a long day’s hunt.
Serves 8
Plain flour - (1 lb)
Egg yolk - 1
Lard - (6 oz), diced
Milk - (4 fl oz)
Lean pork - (2 lb), cut into (¼ inch) dice
Bacon rashers - 3, finely diced
Fresh sage - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Fresh thyme - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Anchovy essence - 1 tsp
Ground mace - ½ tsp
Ground allspice - ½ tsp
Chicken stock - (1 pint)
Egg, 1, beaten, to glaze
Gelatine - (½ oz)
Method
Warm a mixing bowl and sieve the flour into it make a well in the centre and add the egg yolk.
Gently heat the lard in the milk until it has melted, then bring rapidly to the boil. Pour immediately into the well in the flour and draw the ingredients together with a wooden spoon to form a soft, pliable but not sticky ball of dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rest in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven / 400 °F / Gas 6.
Mix together the pork, bacon, herbs, anchovy essence and spices. Moisten with 3 tablespoons of the stock.
Roll out two thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and mould round a (2½ lb) floured straight sided jam jar a ¼ inch thick. . . cut a cross to let out steam - then upend - fill the jar with hot water the paste will slide off easily
Pack the meat mixture into the pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid for the pie. Press the edges together tightly to seal. Scallop the edges and decorate with pastry leaves. Cut a hole in the centre of the lid. Tie a double thickness of buttered greaseproof paper around the outside of the pie. Brush the top with beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature 350 °F / Gas 4 and bake for a further 2¼ hours. Remove the greaseproof paper, brush the sides and top with egg and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until well browned. Remove from the oven, leave until almost cold.
Heat the stock in a saucepan and sprinkle in the gelatin. Stir briskly until dissolved. Leave to cool slightly. Pour liquid through the hole in the pastry lid. Leave in a cool place overnight. Serve cut in
Serve chilled with pickles, crusty bread, a thick slice of English Cheddar, a tossed side salad and a glass of beer for a true Englishman’s lunch!