PEA, CHICKEN AND GARLIC POTATO CAKE

 

SIMPLE LEFT OVERS SUPPER

 

Lovely twist to some left overs from your roast dinner, quick and simple to make and super tasty, this will work with lots of different leftovers, the key is to have roast or mashed potatoes as your base and binder and then just add whatever you have in the fridge, I recently had some left over tuna which I mixed with mashed potato, herbs and cream cheese, gorgeous, with a hint of sweet chilli drizzle.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Left over peas

Left over roast potatoes

1 clove garlic

Left over roast chicken

Dash rapeseed oil

Salt and pepper

poached eggs

 

Place the peas, potatoes, garlic and chicken into a blender and pulse, season and form into patties, heat the oil in a non stick pan and sear the patties on both sides slowly so that they can heat all the way through.  A couple of rashers of sweetcure streaky bacon would be fantastic with this.

 

To poach the eggs, you can do this two ways, first heat a pan of water to a good rolling simmer, add a good glug of white wine vinegar, this will help the egg white amalgamate, I like to stir the water so that there is a calm eye of the storm in the centre of the pan and gently drop the egg into this vortex, cook for approx 4 minutes, less for a really runny egg, the cheats way is to take a strip of clingfilm, rub with oil and place sitting over a glass, crack the egg into the clingfilm and twist into a knot, drop this into a pan of simmering water and cook for approx 4 minutes, to serve snip off the clingfilm and hey presto!  This is a helpful technique if you have lots of eggs to do in a short time.

4 MONTHS INTO OUR JOURNEY NOW MY BEAUTIFUL WIND DRYING JAMMON 8 MONTHS TO GO!

 

Our beautiful leg of pork hanging in our porch, wind drying, well with this amount of rain almost wind drying and as this is the first Jammon we have done since moving to the seafront I am excited that the salty air may make a difference to the taste of this wind dried style Jammon.

 

I love it that every morning when we go outside we pat the ham! 

 

 

 

THIS YEARS JAMMON I NORMALLY KEEP THE BONE IN BUT I WANT THIS JAMMON READY SOONER SO THIS IS A BONED OUT SHORT CUT LEG OF PORK, RUBBED WITH FINE SALT INSIDE AND OUT, I TIED MY LEG BACK TOGETHER BUT IF YOU WANTED A PERFECT FINISH YOU SHOULD SEW THE LEG BACK TOGETHER OR THE BEST RESULT IS TO HAVE THE LEG TUNNLE BONED OUT THIS BY FAR WILL GIVE YOU THE PERFECT PRETTY FINISHED LOOKING JAMMON, TOADAY I AM ALL ABOUT THE EATING AND NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE PRESENTATION.  WELL ALMOST !!!

 

 

THE JAMMON NEEDS TO BE COMPELTELY COVERED BY SALT FOR THE NEXT 24 DAYS TO CURE SO THAT IT IS READY FOR WIND DRYING IN A COOL PLACE OVER THE NEXT 8 to 11 MONTHS

THE JAMMON NEEDS TO BE WEIGHTED DOWN BY AT LEAST 10LBS DURING THE 24 DAYS THIS IS TO HELP THE SALT DRAW OUT ALL THE LIQUID THIS IS VITAL TO ENSURING A CLEAN CURE. 

 

ONCE THE LEG OF PORK HAS BEEN IN ITS SALT CURE FOR 24 DAYS (THIS IS CALCULATED 3.5 DAYS PER KILO OF LEG)  TAKE THE LEG OUT OF THE SALT AND BRUSH OFF THE EXCESS SALT WRAP IN DOUBLE LAYER OF NEW MUSLIN CLOTH SECURLY, AS YOU DON'T WANT INSECT TO HAVE A FREE BUFFET ON YOUR PRIZED JAMMON 

GLORIOUS CRAB AND CHORIZO GUMBO

 

 

 

A GENUINE BOWL OF LOVE

 

There is nothing quite like gumbo, In New Orleans they make it with blue swimming crabs which have a soft sweet flavour to them, I have not been able to source them here, yet! so I use Dungeoness crabs as they also have a slight sweet hint to the white meat and claws.  If you don't like fish this dish tastes just as good with chicken and prawns or chicken and sausage.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

(serves 6-8)

 

FOR THE HOLY TRINITY

2 green peppers fine diced

1 large Spanish onion fine diced

3 sticks celery fine chopped

50ml oil

25g butter

3-5 tbsp flour

24 fresh raw shell head on prawns peeled

10 scallops

10 oysters fresh

250g fresh okra chunky sliced

500g fresh cooking chorizo sliced

2 cloves garlic fine chopped

2 dressed or whole crabs white and brown meat

1.5ltr prawn stock (from the shells)

1 tin chopped tomatoes (optional)

 Several shakes of Tabasco

1 lemon juiced

Salt and pepper

1 bunch chopped parsley

4 sprigs thyme chopped

1 pinch cayenne pepper

2 fresh bay leaf

2 red chillies find diced (optional)

1 tbsp file powder (USA)

6 ptn cooked rice

 

Pan fry the chorizo until coloured on both sides and all the gorgeous paprika flavoured fat has rendered out into the pan.  Remove the chorizo to one side and add the butter to the pan, once melted add the flour to make a roux, then pop in the bay leaf and on a low heat cook for 10-20 minutes, the time difference is how brown you want to take your roux, I like to cook for 20 minutes to really develop the flavour.

 

It is really worth taking your time over the roux, as this is the heart and soul of the gumbo.  Any French trained chef will be having kittens right now but there is a reason to gently brown off the roux, and that is what any good cook wants, depth of flavour.

 

 

TO MAKE THE FISH STOCK

 

Take all the peeled prawn heads and shells from your raw prawns and place in a large pan with a knob of butter and dash of ooil and the garlic, pan fry until cooked.  The smell is gorgeous, add 2 ltrs of water and bring to a rolling simmer, using the end of a rolling pin bash the prawns releasing all their flavour.  Reduce by one quarter approx and strain and reserve.

 

THE HOLY TRINITY

 

THE HOLY TRINITY

This is the base of all gumbo's and known as the holy trinity.  Pan fry gently in a knob of butter and dash of ooil until soft but not coloured, add the chilli if using.  Add the holy trinity to the roux and stir in well, tip this into a large stock pot and then add the strained prawn stock and stir in well, bring to a simmer, add the tin of tomatoes and okra, bring to a gentle simmer and cook out for 30 minutes.

 

 

FOR THE FINAL STAGE

 

Once the gumbo base has been cooking for approx 30 minutes, add the chorizo and crab meat to the pot after a few minutes add the prawns, scallops and oysters and cook for another 5 minutes, now it is time to adjust the seasoning as this will take the gumbo to that next level. 

 

First add half the lemon juice and several shakes of tabasco, the cayenne and some pepper, then a pinch of salt and a dash of file powder if using, and taste.  To adjust the seasoning I found adding some of the lemon juice, tabasco and salt were what made it sing.

 

To serve place some hot cooked rice in the bottom of your bowl and then ladle over the gumbo. When serving gumbo there is a saying called, Go Fish, which means you get what you get!

 

BIT OF HISTORY

 

This is traditional in New Orleans, the American Indians made File powder from the leaves of the native sassafras tree.  File is used to season finished gumbo's and soups just before serving, File acts as a thickener and adds a delicate light zesty spring earthy tea flavour to what it is sprinkled on.

OLD FASHIONED SUNDAY ROASTED FORE RIB OF BEEF AND PORT GRAVY

 

SUNDAY LUNCH

Heat a tbsp of dripping in your pan to a high heat and sear the rib of beef on all sides until nice and brown, remove from the heat a transfer to a pre-heated oven 180 degrees.

 

COOKING TIMES

Rare 9 mins per lb

Med rare 12 mins per lb

Medium well 15 mins per lb

Well done just keep going

Roast potatoes 45 mins to 1 hour

 

INGREDIENTS

(serves 6)

1 2 bone fore rib of beef

100g dripping

15 King Edward potatoes

2 tbsp semolina or polenta

Salt and pepper

Any green vegetables

FOR THE GRAVY

500ml beef stock

250ml port or red wine

50g -100g butter

 

Par boil the potatoes for 10 minutes in water seasoned with a good pinch of salt, drain and allow to dry slightly, toss in the colander gently to fluff up the edges and sprinkle over the semolina and a pinch of salt, place in your hot roasting pan and toss in the dripping and return to the oven with the beef.

 

 

Once your rib has cooked to your choice remove from the oven and wrap in tin foil to rest and keep warm, I recommend a minimum resting time of 10 minutes, this resting time is double fold as you can now make your roasting pan gravy and steam your vegetables, without rushing.

 

 

Drain off any excess fat from the roasting tin and place the tin on your stove or scrape into a saucepan, add your port or red wine and reduce by half, now add the beef stock and reduce by a half whisk in the butter which will help to thicken the gravy and enrich the flavour, taste and season if needed.  If you want a thicker gravy mix some flour with butter and whisk in.

 

Wonderful Sunday roast fore rib of beef, I love this cut of beef as the fat that runs through the beef melts and bastes the beef while cooking, rendering a lovely old fashioned beef flavour and with the crispy fat on the top of each slice it is heavenly.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING ROAST BEEF SANDWICH WITH HORSE RADISH CREME FRAICHE AND CRISPY SKINNY ONION RINGS

 

This is such a lovely way to eat a rare beef sandwich, I got this from Andy Bates, but have used my own yorkshire pudding recipe as it works every time, I love this simple twist on the great Sunday Roast, it brought back a memory of old fashioned Sunday's, when Sunday's were something special, where the local village pub closed at 2pm and then there was a big family roast dinner, then the  afternoon was very quite with everyone on the sofa and dad asleep in the chair, (I lived in a  wonderful 12th century village pub for most of my childhood) .  The juicy roast beef sandwiched in the yorkshire pudding with the thin crispy chewy onion rings and the creme fraiche horse radish really deliver a full burst of the Sunday flavour and texture to your taste buds.

 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE YORKSHIRE

 

200g plain flour

200g milk

200g eggs

1 pinch salt

1 tbsp fat

 

Very important to weigh these ingredients.  Mix the eggs with the flour with the salt until no lumps then add the milk to make a smooth batter, leave to rest on the side for at least 1 hour if you can.  Pre- heat your oven to 200 degrees, place 1/4 tsp of goose fat or dripping in to each well of your yorkshire pudding tin, ten minutes before cooking place the tin in the oven so that the fat is smoking hot, as fast as you can remove the tin with the hot fat from the oven and pour in the batter mix and return back to the oven, do not be tempted to open the oven door at all!  Cook for 15 minutes or so and the yorkshire puddings should have risen high and be light, crisp and ready.

 

 

 CRISPY GORGEOUS FRIED ONION RINGS

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2 large onions fine sliced into rings

100g plain flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper 

2 ltr oil for frying

 

Heat the oil to 190 degrees.  Separate all the onion rings and toss in the seasoned flour really well, fry in batches until crisp and golden, and drain on kitchen paper, I like to sprinkle a little salt over the hot crisp cooked onion rings and then find I have to protect them from everyone trying to eat them before I have loaded them on the yorkshires.

 

RARE ROASTED FILLET OF BEEF

 

INGREDIENTS

 

3lb centre cut of fillet of beef

50ml oil

Salt and pepper

 

Rub the fillet of beef with the oil and sear in a hot pan until caramelised all over, Place in a pre-heated oven 180 degrees for 15 minutes or so for rare, 20 minutes for medium rare and 25 minutes for well done, remove from the oven and wrap in tin foil and rest for half an hour.  For easy slicing I chill the fillet for a few hours or overnight before slicing.  Once sliced I season with sea salt.

 

ACCOMPANIMENTS

 

100ml creme fraiche

4 tbsp horseradish sauce

150g lambs lettuce or micro salad

 

 

To assemble very simple pull or slice open the yorkshire puddings, paint on a small amount of horse radish cream, then some salad leaves, then fold on the beef, then top with a dollop of horse radish creme fraiche and finish of with generous mound of crispy onion rings.

LEFT OVER RUSTIC ROAST CHICKEN PIE

What could be a better way to use up left over roast chicken, but to encase it in a rich buttery short crust pastry with left over roast chicken gravy, taking all the beautiful flavours and showcasing them. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PIE FILLING

Left over roast chicken

Left over roast chicken gravy

OR

to make from scratch

2 chicken breasts poached

800ml chicken stock

25g butter

25g flour

50ml dry white wine

50ml double cream

Salt and pepper

parsley

To make the pie filling from scratch poach the chicken breasts until just cooked in the chicken stock, leave the breast in the stock until cooled.  Sieve and reserve the stock in a jug.  Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour to make a roux, cook gently for a couple of minutes then add the white wine and cook out for a couple of minutes, then start to add the reserved chicken stock a little at a time stirring in well until you have a medium thick sauce, add the cream and parsley and season to taste.

Pull the chicken apart and add to your gravy, this is now ready to fill your pie with.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTRY

200g cold butter diced

400g plain flour

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch saffron

50ml ice cold water

1 egg wash

I like to make this by hand as I feel it gives you a lighter crumblier short pastry.  Rub the butter into the flour until you have breadcrumbs, mix in the salt and saffron then sprinkle over the water and bring together to form a tight ball.  Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for half an hour.  One of the keys to perfect pastry is keeping all the ingredients cold and not over worked. 

Lightly flour your surface and roll out your pastry to line your pie tins, sometimes I like individual pies as you get more pastry and sometimes I make a large family pie with more filling.  Generously fill the pie tin, brush the edges with your egg wash and place the pastry lid on top and crimp the edges to seal, I like to decorate the tops of my pies with left over pastry shapes.  Egg wash and bake in the oven at 190 degrees for 30-40  minutes until golden and crisp.  If you have any left over gravy serve with the pie.  I often eat my pies on their own but sometimes I love a really buttery mashed potato or lots of steamed greens.

SWEET SMOKEY BBQ CHICKEN BURRITO WITH PICO DE GALLO AND HABANERO SALSA

Cannot express my love of burritos enough, every mouthful is bursting full of fresh pico de gallo, sweet sticky smokey chicken, hot habanero, cool sour cream, crunchy salad and salsa, sooooo moorish and never the same mouthful twice and then its all over, all to quickly.

(makes 2)
 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SWEET SMOKEY BBQ CHICKEN

Left over poached/roasted chicken

200ml tomato ketchup

70g dark brown sugar

1 tsp smoked chipotle paste

Very simple just bring the tomato ketchup up to a simmer and add the sugar stir until melted, add the chipotle paste, then add to the chicken, I like to pull the chicken apart allowing every fibre to soak up the sweet hickory bbq sauce.

Fresh habanero tomato and coriander salsa

INGREDIENTS

4 large tomato's de-seeded and chopped

1 shallot fine diced

1 habanero diced

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 small bunch coriander chopped

1/2 lemon juiced

Place all the ingredients in a large pestle and mortar, or a blender, the pestle and mortar will give you a much better flavour and texture for your salsa, pound away until you have a saucy consistency, adjust the seasoning to taste using the salt and lemon juice.

ACCOMPANIMENTS

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO

2 tomatoes de-seeded and finely chopped

1 small shallot finely diced

1 small bunch coriander fine chopped

1/4 red or green pepper finely diced

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch black pepper

1 chilli fine diced

Mix all the fresh crunchy ingredients together and season to taste.

100ml sour cream

1/4 iceberg lettuce fine sliced

FOR THE GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados

1 small shallot fine chopped

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp red pepper chopped

1 large tomato de-seeded and chopped

1 pinch salt

1 pinch black pepper

1/4 lemon squeezed

1 tbsp coriander fine chopped optional

Pound all the ingredients together and season to taste, adjust with lemon, salt and pepper.

LOADING THE BURRITO

I like to melt some tex mex cheese and re-fried beans, optional, I love them, on the flour tortilla for a minute or so under the grill, this also softens the tortilla which helps with the folding.  I place some of the crisp salad first then a drizzle of habanero salsa, followed by the smokey sweet bbq chicken, then pico de gallo, then I top with some sour cream and avocado guacamole and often some extra sliced chillies, I don't always add rice to my burrito as my husband does not like the texture so much and I have got used to having a naughty burrito where there is a lot more fresh sharp bbq meaty flavor without the rice!

Enjoy



PHO HANOI STYLE

A glorious bowl of well being, this is a vibrant enriched soul nourishing bowl of broth, it covers all the needs for a fulfilling meal, noodles, chicken and a spicy aromatic zingy broth, no wonder Hanoi has the reputation for making the very best broths that enrich such understated ingredients.

(Serves 4)

(lots of left over poached chicken)

 

INGREDEINTS

1 onion halved

2 sticks clelery chopped

1 leek chopped

1 carrot chopped

3" piece of ginger whole

1 star anise

1 lemon

2 cloves

1/2 stick of cinnamon

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 whole chicken

4 ptn cooked flat rice noodles

1 red chilli sliced

4 spring onions fine sliced

Small bunch coriander torn

1 lemon quarted

Simple one pot cooking, all you need is slow time.  In a large pan put the chopped celery, leek, onion and carrot, untruss the chicken and place in the pan bring up to a gently simmer, meanwhile in a dry frying pan brown off the ginger and lemon and then add the pan along with the cloves, cinnamon and star anise.  Cook nice and slow on a gently heat if you have the time, this will produce a clear stock, if you dont have most of the day to leave this on the stove just ticking over, then cook at a rolling simmer with the lid on for 45 minutes in a pressure cooker or 1.30 hrs in a normal large pan.  Once cooked turn off the heat, add the fish sauce and leave the chicken in the stock to cool, this is a really good tip as the chicken cools it soaks up any stock it can making a really moist chicken.

 

Once cooled remove the chicken and pull off all the meat, I like to keep the legs and thighs whole as my husband likes to eat them as is from the fridge, I also keep all skin and bits off the chicken that I won't eat but my cat and dogs will enjoy.  This is one of those dishes that feeds everyone in my family, some way or another, with left over chicken for a pie, sandwiches or a pasta dish.

 

Seive the stock and return to a clean pan and bring to a simmer, skim off any fat.  In your serving bowls place a portion of the cooked noodles in each bowl and then sprinkle in some of the chicken, you don't need much a few ounces each is more than enough.  Pour in the glorious soul norishing stock and finish off with your own choice of spring onions, chillies, lemon juice and fresh coriander.

 

Hanoi's traditional recipe is with beef bones and fillet beef, the recipe is the same I just happened to have a whole chicken in the fridge and wanted to make this, you can also make this vegetarian.

BEST EVER GARLIC HOME FRIES

 

No effort for gorgeous potatoes, I love love love these, they are so full of flavour, roasted in goose fat they have a squidy soft goose basted bottom with a glorious fluffy centre and the tops are crispy, nutty and chewy.  The garlic is soften and nutty which just complements the potatoes perfectly.

 

INGREDIENTS

(serves 4)

8 large rooster potatoes

6 cloves garlic

3 tbsp goose fat

 

So quick and a no effort accompainment or side dish, just chop your rooster potates in rough equal chunks, toss in the goose fat and place in a pre-heated oven 180 degrees for 45 minutes, half way through if you want you can turn the potatoes, I don't always do this, but I find I get a better finish to the potato if I do.  Then 10 minutes before the end sprinkle in the rough chopped garlic, thats it !  I like to season with a good pinch of sea salt and love a cranberry and mayo dip on the side.

HUSH PUPPIES

 

Love these sweet corn balls of delight, I always have to make twice as many as we need as they are so moorish and I keep going back for another and another...

 

(makes approx 10)

 

INGREDEINTS

120g cornmeal fine ground

30g plain flour

1 tsp onion powder

100-200ml full fat milk

1 pinch bicarbonate soda

1 pinch salt

1 tsp sugar

100g sweetcorn off the cob

1 egg beaten

 Oil for frying

 

 

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix 100ml of the milk with the betean egg and add to the dry ingredients, mix in the sweetcorn.  You want a medium thick batter consistency that you can still form a rough ball shape with a spoon, but only just holds its shape.  The stiffer the batter the dryer the hush puppies, so wetter is better. 

 

Bring your frying oil up to 190 degrees and fry the hush puppies until medium golden brown, drain on kitchen paper and serve warm with a remoulade dip.

 

I beleive these originated in the deep south and so I read somewhere their nick name came about from throwing them to puppy dogs to keep them quite, hence Hush Puppies.

ALL AMERICAN BURGER (THE BEST) TOPPED WITH CHEESE AND BACON THEN LOADED WITH BATTERED ONION RINGS AND SALAD

You can not beat the soul satisfying comfort from a really good burger.  A burger in any form, from a simple cheese burger to a over loaded gotta stuff my face in that burger, they all deliver the same exciting pleasure from that first bite, and who cares if half the sauce is on your face, it is kind of what a burger is all about, I just gotta learn how to perfect the tuck'n'roll...

I love to have just a simple seasoned chucksteak burger but in my passion for flavour, I have experimented with this burger and I have tried a 3:1 ratio of fresh ribeye steak and chuck steak minced with some raw smoked sweetcure bacon, onion and seasoning with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  I love it, and to date it is the tastiest burger pattie so far.

(makes 4x4oz patties, 454g)

(I make 4 times this amount and freeze the spare)
 

INGREDIENTS

 FOR THE BURGER

150g  ribeye steak trimmed & minced

304g chuck steak minced

 4 rashers sweetcure bacon

1 small onion

Sea salt and black pepper

 

 

I like to mince my ribeye the reason for this is that I like to run the bacon and onion with the steak through the mincer so that the flavour is equal in every bite of the burger, you can easily chop the bacon and onion by hand and the only difference will be a slightly coarser texture in your burger.  I then like to mince the chucksteak for a second time with the minced ribeye, bacon and onion for a even texture, to test for seasoning I pan fry a tiny pattie, (cooks perk), and adjust if needed before I mould each pattie, to mould either roll your mince into a tight ball and squash or just fill a large jar lid, turn out and then pressed down to the thiness required.

 

ACCOMPAIMENTS

4 seeded buns buttered

4 slices Monteray Jack cheese

4 slices American burger cheese

8 slices dill gherkins

1/2 Iceberg lettuce fine sliced

Onion and tomato salad optional

100g Homemade tomato ketchup (search on blog)

(tiptree ketchup as good)

FOR THE OVER LOADED EXTRA ONION RINGS

16 thick slices of onion in rings

150g plain flour

50g fine polenta

1 tsp salt & white pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 pinch cayenne pepper

water or milk or beer to make a batter consistnecy

600ml oil for deep frying

 

These are really quick and simple to make, I mix all the dry ingredients together and then add the milk or water or beer until I have a thick dropping consistency, coat the onions in the batter and drop into the oil one at a time to fry at 190 degrees for a crisp batter and a soft sweet onion ring.

FABULOUS GARLIC HOME FRIES

6 rooster potatoes

2 large cloves of garlic

4 tbsp goose fat

1 lrg pinch sea salt

 

These are so quick and simple, all I do is rough dice the rooster potatoes and toss in some goose fat and then place in the oven for approx 45 minutes, turning once, 10 minutes before the cooking ends I throw in the chopped garlic.  These are one of my top top top favourite potatoes to eat, soft and fluffy centres with a squidgy bottom, seasoned and flavoured by goose fat and garlic, with crispy caramelised corners in all what more could you ask for in a potato

 

PORK PIE HAND RAISED HOT WATER CRUST PASTRY

Hot water crust pastry, hand raised no jelly pork pie with egg for my husband.

I love to cook all the time and Christmas is a exciting time for me as I get to cook for lots of people, I have the pleasure of making pork pies, game pies, rabbit pies, sausage rolls, flying saucer mince pies and mini Christmas puddings for all my friends, family and neighbours. 

One of my most treasured pleasures is that my nan (87yrs) always made 200 sausage rolls for the family to enjoy over Christmas and I am so proud that I now have that responsibility and I love the anticipation from my  family when I make them they get all bossy and check in that I am making them.

PORK PIE DOLLY'S

My fabulous husband had these traditional pork pie dollies handmade for me by a local woodsman who forage's in the woodland where he has his workshop, he found a fallen log of wood, as this is what he does, and then he made the commission from that.

I love them they are so personal and such a thoughtful thing to have made for me. (Big brownie points!)

Hand raising the hot water crust pastry up around the dolly.

MAKING THE JELLY

Ingredients

2 fresh trotters

1 ltr water

Salt & pepper

1 bay leaf

6 peppercorns

1 tsp mustard powder

1 sprig thyme
1 stick celery chopped
1 leek chopped
1 onion halved
1 carrot chopped

Not a process I really enjoy if I am honest, I find the cooking smell unpleasant, never the less my dad loves his jelly so I infuse, boil, simmer, strain and set the jelly.

METHOD

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, skim off any froth and discard.  Simmer for approx 2-3 hrs until the trotters are gelatinous and falling apart. Leave to cool and then sieve.  Set the jelly aside in in the fridge until you need it, I use a bladder syringe available from your chemist as this is easier than pouring in the pie hole.

FOR THE HOT WATER CRUST PASTRY

550g plain flour

110g lard

100g butter

200ml water

1 lrg pinch of salt

1 lrg pinch white pepper

2 eggs beaten

Love rendering my own lard, I always roast some pork belly and crackling at the same time, of course for the flavour in the lard, but what a bonus after having to smell all that gorgeous pork cooking I then get to munch on moist chunks of belly pork with crispy crackling, knowing that all the flavour I am tasting is also in the rendered lard that will flavour the pastry.

FOR THE PORK PIE FILLING

500g pork shoulder hand diced

250g belly pork minced

250g bacon minced or hand chopped

1 pinch mace

12 sage leaves fine chopped

4 sprigs of thyme leaves chopped

1 good pinch cayenne pepper

Big pinch salt and white & black pepper

3 6 min boiled eggs

Love making a pie in this mould, it is such a beautiful way to present a pretty food gift.