FLOWER POT KITCHEN: 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.