Stacey’s pork pies

Darren’s partner, Stacey, regularly helps out on the Estate. She makes the most delicious pork pies – in addition to many other dishes - and she’s generously shared her recipe.

Enjoy them as a hearty treat in the winter, or pop them in your picnic hamper in the summer. Enjoy these tasty pies year-round.

Ingredients

• 1kg meat; these were made with skinned Crowcombe woodland sausages. You can also use a mix of finely chopped or minced pork shoulder and pork belly.

• 1 white onion, finely chopped

• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1tbsp thyme - fresh, finely chopped or dried

• 1tbsp sage - fresh, finely chopped or dried

• 1tbsp mustard - I use Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the pastry

• 250g Lard

• 750g plain flour

• Oil for greasing

• 250ml water; may need to add more if the mix is dry

• 1 egg for glazing

Method

Mix the filling ingredients and season. Grease 15-20 holes in a muffin tin and line each hole with a strip of baking parchment for easy removal, or just grease well.

To make pastry, bring the lard and 250ml water to the boil in a small pan. Sieve the flour into a food processor and add 2 tsp salt. While the processor is on, pour in the lard and water mix, then blend until you have a smooth dough. Turn out into a bowl and remove two-thirds, covering the final third with a tea towel to keep warm.

Roll the larger piece out on a floured surface to about 2-3 mm thick – work quickly, as the dough is easier to work with when warm. Cut out 15/20 x 11cm circles using a pastry cutter. Line each hole of the tin with the circles, pushing them in with your fingers and leaving a slight overhang.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then put in a baking tray. Divide the filling between the pastry cases, pressing down lightly. Roll out the remaining pastry on a floured surface and stamp out 15-20 x 8 cm circles. Brush the edges of the filled cases with egg, then put the lids on top. Pinch together and crimp the edges with your fingers. Make a small hole in the tops of the pies with the end of a wooden spoon to release steam. Brush with beaten egg, then set the rest aside for later.

Bake in the oven for 30 mins, then remove the tin and tray, and gently take the pies out of the holes. Brush the sides and top again with egg and place directly onto the baking tray. Turn oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for 25-30 mins until the sides are set and the tops are a deep golden colour. Remove and cool on a wire rack. You may need to turn the trays around every 10- 15 minutes, depending on how your oven cooks.

Make the jelly (optional)

• X4 leaf gelatine

• 1 pint of stock- can be a stock cube of choice or water with the same powdered/ fresh ingredients used to flavour the meat
  

Method

Soak the leaf gelatine in a bowl of water for about 5 minutes. Bring your stock to the boil. Squeeze out the leaf gelatine and add to the stock, stirring until fully dissolved. Once the stock and pork pies are cool, pour the jelly into the holes made for steam release, gradually until all are filled. Leave in the fridge overnight to set.