Homemade Pork Pies from Steven Bennett, Chef Patron at The Pig & Whistle

Serves

6

Prep Time

60 mins

Cooking Time

60 mins plus chilling time overnight if possible

Ingredients

For the filling

• 400g pork shoulder
• 100g unsmoked bacon rashers, with rinds removed
• 2 tbsp sage leaves, chopped
• half tbsp anchovies, chopped
• qtr tsp allspice
• qtr tsp ground mace
• pinch salt and black pepper

For the pastry

• 300g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 150 ml water
• 90g white vegetable fat
• 1 egg, beaten

For the jelly

• 4 gelatine leaves
• 1 pork stock cube (or chicken if not available)

Method

To make the filling

• Firstly, pre-heat the oven to 200°C
• Mix together the pork, bacon, sage, anchovies, spices and seasonings in a bowl and leave to one side.

To make the pastry

• Place the flour into a bowl and add a pinch of salt.
• Place the egg yolk in the middle of the bowl and cover with some of the flour.
• Pour 150ml water into a saucepan and add the vegetable fat.
• Place over a low heat and stir until the fat melts.
• Increase the heat until the liquid is boiling, before carefully pouring into the flour mixture and beat with a wooden spoon.
• Once the pastry has cooled slightly, knead until it forms a ball.
• Wrap a third of the pastry in clingfilm and place to one side, as this will be used for the lids.
• Divide the remaining pastry into 6 pieces and flatten each one individually with the palm of your hand or a rolling pin.
• Line the holes of a muffin tin with each of the rounds, stretching the pastry so it comes just above the line of the tin, ensuring there are no holes are in the pastry.

To make the pies

• Divide the filling into 6 and place in the centre of each muffin hole.
• Divide the remaining pastry into 6 pieces and flatten out to fit the tops of each of the pies.
• Place the lids on top and press the edges together, fluting them.
• Make a large hole in the centre of each pie and glaze the 6 tops with the egg.
• Bake for 20 minutes, before reducing the temperature to 180°C and cook for a further 20 minutes.
• Remove the pies from the muffin tin and place onto a baking tray.
• Glaze the top and sides with the remaining egg wash and place back into the over for a further 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden.
• Once cooked, remove the pies from the oven and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

To make the jelly

• Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until softened.
• Pour 450ml boiling water over the stock cube, and stir until dissolved.
• Remove the gelatine from the water, squeezing out any excess liquid and add to the stock.
• Stir until the gelatine has dissolved and leave to cool.
• Pour the gelatine into the pies, using the holes created in their lids. Place in the fridge until set.

To serve

• Serve with chutney or piccalilli.

Chef’s Tip: Hot water-crust pastry might break a few rules when it comes to making pastry, but it’s much less crumbly and will hold the meat in place. It’s so important to make sure there are no holes in the pastry as the jelly and stock will leak out.