Pork pie with Stilton salad

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Paul Foster lends a gourmet touch to this pork pie recipe, using minced pork belly and pork shoulder to create a stunning version of a picnic classic. The sour note of stilton and sharpness of chicory both serve to cut through the fattiness of the pie. He recommends using Dingley Dell pork for this sumptuous pork pie recipe.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pastry

  • 175g of lard
  • 125ml of warm water
  • 475g of strong white flour
  • salt
  • 2 eggs, for glazing

Filling

Jelly

  • 200ml of chicken stock, reduced
  • 1 gelatine leaf

Stilton and chicory salad

Equipment

  • Mandoline
  • Piping bags
  • Pastry brush
  • Fine strainer
  • 12 ramekins

Method

1
For the pastry, melt the lard into the water ensuring it doesn’t boil. Mix into the flour and salt and knead until it becomes a smooth dough. Leave to rest for 30 minutes in a warm place
  • 175g of lard
  • 125ml of warm water
  • 475g of strong white flour
  • salt
2
Line each ramekin with a generous amount of cling film overlapping the edges. This will help to remove the pie from the ramekin before baking
3
Once rested, roll out to ¼ cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a suitable pastry cutter to cut out circles large enough to line 3 inch ramekins and press the pastry into the sides of each ramekin. Cut out lids and reserve on a tray in the fridge
4
In a large bowl, mix the filling ingredients together and check seasoning. Form into balls and press into the pastry moulds. Brush the rims with egg wash and place the pastry tops on and crimp the edges
5
Pierce a hole in the top, this will allow the steam to escape from the pork filling. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the pastry to rest and set to the shape of the mould
6
Remove the pies from the moulds using the cling film for leverage. Bake in the oven at 150°C for 40 minutes. Then, beat another egg and brush over the pastry and cook for a further 10 minutes to give a golden shiny finish. Probe the centre to ensure the filling has achieved 75°C in the centre. Set aside to cool in the fridge
7
Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water for 4-5 minutes. Warm the chicken stock up in a pan, remove the gelatine from the water and dissolve by stirring into warm stock. Pass through a fine strainer and pour into a piping bag
  • 200ml of chicken stock
  • 1 gelatine leaf
8
Once the pies have chilled, make sure the hole in the top is still big enough to get the jelly in and then pipe the jelly slowly into the pie until full. Place back in the fridge to set
9
For the stilton salad, slice the shallots, wafer thin, using a mandolin. Boil the water, sugar and vinegar in a pan and then pour over the shallots and leave to cool
  • 2 banana shallots
  • 50ml of water
  • 50ml of white wine vinegar
  • 50g of caster sugar
10
Cut the chicory into long slices, crumble in the stilton, add the capers and rocket and dress with the drained shallots and rapeseed oil
11
To plate, cut each pork pie down the centre and place onto plates. Garnish with a spoonful of the dressed salad and serve
First published in 2015

Focused, skilled and intelligent, Paul Foster works with the materials he has around him to create extraordinary dishes which sing with a vibrancy perfectly in tune with their surroundings.

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