FLOWER POT KITCHEN: WELCOMING WARMING HOME BAKED TURKEY & HAM PIE IN A CREAMY WHITE WINE SAUCE

8 Feb 2012

WELCOMING WARMING HOME BAKED TURKEY & HAM PIE IN A CREAMY WHITE WINE SAUCE

CRISPY FLAKEY BUTTERY HOMEMADE PASTRY WITH A GLOURIOUS PIE FILLING

OH I LOVE PIE SOOOOO MUCH, COMFORTING AND WELCOMING NO MATTER HOW GREAT OR AWFUL YOUR DAY HAS BEEN THIS NORISHES THE CARB SOUL

THE PASTRY
450g plain flour
1 tsp salt
110g butter
100g lard
175ml cold water

Put the flour and salt in a bowl, grate the butter and lard into the flour and cut in with a knife, add the water, bring the mixture together to form a dough, knead for a couple of seconds to form a smooth dough and wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for approx 30 minutes.

THE PIE FILLING
Left over roast turkey or chicken 8oz
Home baked ham 4oz
1 onion fine diced
1 leek fine diced
1 celery fine diced
100g butter (1/2 for finish)
Dash ooil & knob of butter
50g plain flour
600ml chicken stock slightly warmed
100ml dry white wine
100ml double cream
Seasoning
Thyme

Melt the butter in the ooil and gently fry the onions, leek & celery for 10 minutes. Now melt half of the extra butter in the same pan, add the flour to make a roux, cook out gently for 5 minutes, not letting the roux catch or colour. Add the wine and stir in well till you get a smooth paste, then start to add the warmed stock a ladel at a time and stir well each time, once you have the thickness you desire for the sauce, simmer very gentley for 5 minutes, then add the thyme, turkey and ham. Stir in the butter and double cream, taste and then adjust with seasoning if required. Sometimes I feel that a hint of cayenne pepper lifts this dish or a dash of fresh lemon juice. Leave to cool ready to fill the pastry case.

Take two thirds of the pastry, roll out and line a pre greased pie tin. Fill with the cooled pie mixture almost to the top, with the remaining pastry roll out the lid for the pie and any decorative leaves or symbols you want, egg wash the top of the sides of the pie ready for the lid to join, place on top and gently push together. Egg wash the top of the pie and add any decorative pastry, egg wash and then bake in a pre heated moderate oven 180 degress for approx 45minutes to 1hour.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.