By Jen Perry, Proprietor, Room Forty mobile Afternoon Tea Emporium

Pies; I love them all; sweet apple and blackberry pies made with foraged fruits to home made, hot water crust pork pies using great quality ingredients, I’m even partial to a sneaky pasty on the run.

The hot (or perhaps you prefer cold) topic is not without controversy. A pie has to have pastry doesn’t it? A top and a bottom? What about fish pie - no pastry on that? Where do flans fit in to the equation? And as for soggy bottoms, well don’t get me started.

It’s the start of British Pie Week today, Monday, and to celebrate at Room Forty Afternoon Tea’s we’re making the terrifically British raised pork pie, perfect to round off our High Tea menu.

Making a pork pie with hot water crust pastry is actually easier than you think with the end product far, far better than commercial varieties and much more rewarding.

I encourage you to be brave and have a go.

If you have a local butcher as I do (Rowles on Dam Lane, Woolston) just ask them to do the chopping up for you.

You don’t need to make a giant pie, but it does look spectacular.

You can use the same recipe to make several individual pies.

Ingredients

• 800g pork shoulder, minced or finely chopped

• 380g pork belly, half minced and half chopped

• 270g smoked bacon, cubed

• 2 large pinches ground nutmeg

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage

• 1tbsp fresh chopped thyme

• 1tbsp chopped parsley

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground white pepper

Pastry ingredients

• 575g plain flour

• 200g lard or Trex

• 220ml water Extra flour for dusting rolling pin (not too much or it will dry out)

To finish the pie O

One beaten egg

6 gelatine leaves

300ml chicken stock

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients for the filling.

2. To make the pastry, put the flour in a large bowl, then put the lard and water into a small pan and heat gently until the lard melts. Bring just to the boil and then stir into the flour using a wooden spoon. Leave for 10 minutes, and then knead until smooth whilst it is still hot.

3. Cut off 1/4 of the dough, wrap in cling film and reserve for the lid. Roll out the remaining dough to a circle and then place in the base of a non-stick 20cm springform cake tin. Working quickly while the dough is warm and pliable, press the dough evenly over the base and up the sides of the tin. Make sure there are no holes (or the jelly will leak out!) Fill with the meat mixture and pack down well. Roll out the dough for the lid. Place on top of the pie. Pinch all around the edge to seal the pie. Make a hole for steam in the centre, using the handle of a wooden spoon.

4. Cook in the oven for 30 mins then reduce the heat to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for 90 minutes. Brush the top with beaten egg and return to the oven for a further 20 mins. Leave until cold.

5. Soak the gelatine in cold water for about 5 mins, then remove and squeeze out the excess water. Heat the stock until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine. Leave to cool to room temperature.

6. Use a small funnel to pour the stock into the pie through the hole in the top. Pour in a little at a time allowing a few seconds before each addition. Place in the fridge to set overnight.

Want to make smaller pies?

Simply split the dough into seven portions and roll them into balls.

Pop the 7th ball into clingfilm so it doesn’t dry out – this will make the lids.

Next, get a pint glass, dip the base into some flour and use it to mould pastry cases (around 1.5 inches high).

Repeat until you have 6 pie cases and follow the rest of the recipe to fill the cases.

NB. When making smaller pies remember to alter the cooking time to 1 hour in total (I use a temperature probe to check they are cooked throughout).