Pork Pie Recipe

serves 10-12, or more! 20cm springform cake tin required filling:

• 1kg pork shoulder, cut into 5mm cubes
• 250g fresh pork belly, minced (or fatty sausage meat)
• 250g salt pork, pancetta or streaky bacon, finely chopped
• 12 sage leaves, finely chopped
• Leaves from 2 good sprigs of thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• good pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 250ml good pork stock that will set to jelly

hot water crust:

• 100g lard, diced
• 100g butter, diced
• 200ml water
• 550g plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs, beaten, plus 1 egg to glaze

the hot water crust pastry

Make the hot water crust pastry first. Put the lard, butter and water in a saucepan and heat gently until melted; do not let it boil. Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a dip in the centre and add the beaten eggs, stirring them gently around with a knife so they are half mixed with the flour. Pour in the melted fat and water and mix together to form a soft dough; add up to 50ml extra warm water if it is too dry. Knead gently, adding more flour if it is too sticky to handle. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for one hour.

For the filling, mix all the meats with the herbs, salt and seasonings (except the bay leaf), so they are thoroughly combined.

pie construction and setting

Now assemble the pie. Cut off a generous quarter of the pastry and keep in the fridge, for the lid. On a floured surface, roll out the rest of the pastry into a 30cm circle a good centimetre thick. Use this to line a 20cm springform cake tin, pressing the pastry into the sides and flattening any overlap with your fingers. It should come 6-8cm up the sides of the tin.

Fill with the seasoned pork mixture and push the bay leaf into the middle of it. Roll out the reserved piece of pastry into a circle about the size of the tin. Brush the edges of the lining pastry with a little beaten egg, and lay the pastry lid on top of the pie. Crimp the edges together so they are sealed. Cut a 1cm diameter hole in the centre of the pastry lid.

Place the pie in a moderate oven (180°C) and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 1 1/4 hours. Carefully release the side of the tin and remove it. Brush the top and sides of the pie with beaten egg and cook for another 15 minutes to set the glaze. Take the pie out of the oven and allow to cool.

the jellied stock lining

It will have shrunk slightly in the oven, creating a cavity that is traditionally filled with jellied stock. It's a bit like filling a car with petrol, but requires a slightly more delicate touch (leon: also a more delicious one). Do it when the pie is still just a little warm. Warm the jellied stock until it is pourable, but not hot. Carefully lift the edges of the centre hole of the pastry with the tip of a knife, making sure you have good access to the cavity. You can use a small funnel for this or, better still, a 'turkey baster', with a squeezy rubber bulb on one end. Tilt the pie from time to time to help distribute the stock, then try and get a little more in. Stop when the stock begins to overflow from the hole. Leave the pie to cool, then put it in the fridge. It will keep for about 2 weeks. Serve with English mustard, pickles and salad.