For those who asked about pork pie
 

Original from Jane Grigson's Charcuterie and French Pork cookery - a
classic.



Raised Pork Pie
For an oval mould, 4 ins. deep, 8 ½ ins. long by 5 ½ ins. across.

(I use an 8" round, deep cake tin - Mary)

JELLY
2 lb. pork bones, plus a veal knuckle bone or a pig's trotter.
Medium-sized carrot. Medium-sized onion stuck with four cloves.
Bouquet garni
Peppercorns.

FILLING
2 ½ lb. boned shoulder pork, or neck, with nearly as much fat as lean meat
½ lb lb. piece of lean bacon
Sage, or other fresh herbs
Salt, pepper, spices
½ lb. thinly cut back rashers

PASTRY
1 ¼ lb. plain flour,
7 oz. water,
9 oz. lard,
¼ oz. salt,
2 level table-spoons icing sugar
(I think this is an error, I use 2 level teaspoons - Mary)

Deal with the jelly first - it can be made the night before, if you like, or
else fit in the preparation of the filling, and pastry making, while it
simmers. Put the bones and vegetables into a large pan, cover with water and
bring to the boil. Fix on the lid and leave to bubble gently for three
hours. Be sure to add no salt. After three hours, strain off the liquid into
a clean pan and boil it down hard to a pint. Season with salt, pepper and a
little lemon juice, and put it in a cool place to set.

For the filling, mince ½ lb of the pork and 2 oz of the lean bacon finely
together. Cut the rest of the pork into half-inch cubes, and brown gently in
their own fat for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the rest of the lean bacon into
slightly smaller pieces than the pork, put them into a pan, barely cover
with cold water and bring to the boil; drain, mix with the browned cubes of
pork, season and leave in a cool place.

Traditionally the pastry is made on a marble slab. I find a big bowl, or the
electric mixer, less messy. (So do I - Mary) First the dry ingredients are
sieved together into a mound, in which a well is made. Bring the water and
lard to the boil in a saucepan and pour it slowly into the well, mixing
everything together with a wooden spoon (or the electric beater). Knead this
hot dough until smooth. It needs to be malleable, but not so hot and soft
that it slips down the mould when you try to pat it into place.

To assemble the pie, grease the hinged mould and put the lump of pastry into
it, keeping aside enough for the lid. Now gently but firmly smooth it up the
sides of the mould, paying attention to the crevices and shapings so that
they are evenly covered. Cracks must be avoided. Line the pastry with the
thinly-cut back bacon rashers. Put half the minced pork and bacon as a
bottom layer and fit in the seasoned cubes. Don't thrust them in or they'll
dent the pastry walls.

Hinged pie mould
Cover with the other half of the minced meat, doming it gently above the rim
of the mould - this gives a pleasant rounded form to the pastry lid, before
the meat shrinks inevitably in the cooking.

Brush the pastry rim with beaten egg. Roll out the pastry lid and fix into
place, with a knocked-up edge. Make a central hole, just large enough to
take a small kitchen funnel, through which the jelly will be poured in later
on. Keep the hole open during baking with a roll of paper, or a pastry rose
with a stem, which can be gently removed when the pie is baked. Brush the
top with beaten egg, put on the other decorations and brush them with egg
too. Lay three thicknesses of greaseproof or brown paper on top of the pie,
and bake at 3000 to 32O°F., Mark 2, for 1 ½ hours. The paper stops the lid
of the pie browning too vigorously.

Let the pie cool in a larder for ¾ of an hour before removing the hinged
mould. (or cake tin - Mary) If you do this too soon, the sides sink outwards
in a spare tyre, and crack. Brush the sides with beaten egg and return to
the oven for them to glaze (protect the top again with paper).

The pie should cool for two hours before adding the jelly; it will still be
warm enough to absorb it evenly. If you've made the jelly well in advance,
reduce it to a semi-liquid state by standing the bowl in some hot water for
a few seconds, stirring all the time to keep it smooth. Remove the paper
roll or rose from the pie, and pour in the jelly through a funnel or in
careful spoonsful. Serve the pie cold. You will find that the meat has taken
a pinkish tinge from the saltpetre, used in curing the bacon, and is
appetizingly marbled with firm jelly.

For those who asked about pork pie
 

In message , Mary
Fisher writes
Original from Jane Grigson's Charcuterie and French Pork cookery - a
classic.

Ooh, Mary - do you suppose I could double up on those cholesterol pills?
--
Klara, Gatwick basin

For those who asked about pork pie
 

"Klara" wrote in message
...
In message , Mary Fisher
writes
Original from Jane Grigson's Charcuterie and French Pork cookery - a
classic.

Ooh, Mary - do you suppose I could double up on those cholesterol pills?

It's only once a year!

Well, ours is - a Christmas Eve tradition since I was a child. It was a real
luxury in the war, my Dad used to bring one home from the market every year
and we solemnly - and enthusiastically - ate it with tomatoes - which is how
this began.

I began making my own when I discovered Jane Grigson, which was recommended
to me by a dear and long-gone friend. When youngest was about 17 he wanted
to do it too so it became his task until he had his own family. He still
comes here for some though, his beloved is a veggie!

Mary
--
Klara, Gatwick basin

For those who asked about pork pie
 

In message , Mary
Fisher writes

Well, ours is - a Christmas Eve tradition since I was a child. It was a real
luxury in the war, my Dad used to bring one home from the market every year
and we solemnly - and enthusiastically - ate it with tomatoes - which is how
this began.

I began making my own when I discovered Jane Grigson, which was recommended
to me by a dear and long-gone friend. When youngest was about 17 he wanted
to do it too so it became his task until he had his own family. He still
comes here for some though, his beloved is a veggie!

Mary

I'll have a go this Christmas! Though I wasn't the one who had asked
for the recipe....

--
Klara, Gatwick basin

For those who asked about pork pie
 

you are a gem - wife making mine next week she doesn't know it yet though
lol
"

For those who asked about pork pie
 

"Alan McKenzie" wrote in message
...
you are a gem - wife making mine next week she doesn't know it yet though
lol
"

:-)