FRENCH RAISED HOT WATER CRUST GAME AND PORK PIE

Bringing the lard and butter to a boil ready to make the hot water crust pastry

 

 

Hot water crust pastry

 

Hot water crust pastry lined in the French raised pie tin

 

Hand diced pork, rabbit, pheasant, venison and pigeon, with a minced belly pork and streaky bacon force meat stuffing with sage and thyme herbs and seasoning

 

 

Glazed and ready for the oven

Glorious raised pie Christmas gift for my neighbours

 



INGREDIENTS

 

GAME PORK PIE FILLING

500g diced pork shoulder

250g belly pork minced

125g streaky bacon minced

300g mixed game breasts diced

4 sprigs of thyme chopped

8 sage leaves fine chopped

1 lrg pinch salt

1 lrg pinch white &black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 small pinch mace

HOT WATER CRUST PASTRY

100g lard

110g butter

200ml water

550ml plain flour

1 egg beaten

1 lrg pinch sea salt

Make the hot water crust pastry first, place the lard, butter and water in a saucepan and bring to just a simmer, place the flour and salt in a bowl, mix and then add the beaten egg, cut into the flour with a knife, make a well in the centre and then pour in the hot melted butter and lard mixture.  Bring together with a spoon and then using your hands gentle knead the dough to form a ball.  Place in clingfilm, flatten and then place in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.

For the game filling, mix the pork shoulder, game, belly and bacon mince together, add the thyme, sage, pepper's, cayenne, salt and mace and mix in evenly. 

Roll out the 2/3 of the chilled pastry to at least a one pound coin thickness and line the game pie tin, trim off the excess.  With the left over pastry, roll out and place the base of the tin to cut the top for the pie, with the left overs cut out leaves for the decoration for the top of the pie.

Place the game pork pie filling in to the pie tin and press down firmly into all the cavities of the pie tin.  Egg wash the top edges and then place the pastry lid on to the top edge of the pie, crimp the edges together and then egg wash the top, place the leave in a pretty pattern in the centre of the pie and make a well in the centre of the leaves and then brush with egg wash.

Place in the oven at 180m degrees for 90 - 120 minutes until golden brown, remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes, remove the sides of the french pie tin, egg wash the sides and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes to glaze the sides.  Don't be tempted to go any further as the pastry becomes a little unstable and  the filling starts to ooze out. 

Leave to cool and then place in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.  This will keep for five days.