Served cold with a hearty dollop of piccalilli, there’s no better picnic lunch (or afternoon snack, or dinner) than a traditional British pork pie.

Kcal:

291 per serving

Saturated Fat:

8.7g per serving

Preparation time:

2 hours

Cooking time:

40 minutes plus cooling time

Ingredients (makes 8)

For the pastry:

450g plain flour

1 egg

175g lard

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

For the filling:

300g pork belly, skin removed

300g pork shoulder

2 anchovies in oil, drained

2 tbsps chopped sage leaves

200g smoked bacon

½ nutmeg seed, grated

Salt and pepper to season

Butter for greasing

Flour for dusting and rolling

1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt for glazing

For the jelly:

3 gelatin leaves

200ml good chicken stock

100ml sweet sherry

1 plastic syringe

Method

Step 1: To make the pastry, put the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the egg. Stir.

Step 2: Melt the lard in a pan with 175ml water, the salt and sugar. Stir and bring to the boil, then take off the heat after 30 seconds. Pour into the flour mixture, stirring all the time. When you have a sticky dough, cover with a tea towel and rest for 1 hour. Then turn onto a floured work surface and flatten.

Step 3: Fold into thirds by taking one side into the middle and pressing down, then repeating with the other side. Flatten into an oblong shape and put on a baking tray covered with greaseproof paper in the fridge for 30 minutes. Step 4: Preheat oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4. Dice pork belly and shoulder, roughly mix with anchovies and sage. Pulse in food processor until mincemeat. Dice bacon and stir in. Add nutmeg and season.

Step 5: Roll pastry, fold into three then roll out again to 3mm thick. Cut out 8 circles 12cm wide and 8 circles 8cm wide. Grease 8 dariole moulds, dust with flour and line with the 12cm pastry circle leaving 1cm overlap, press in and repeat. Divide mixture between them and cover with 8cm pastry circle. Crimp the edges to seal.

Step 6: Brush the top with egg and skewer a hole in the centre. Bake for 40 minutes then cool for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the jelly. Soak the gelatin in cold water for 2 minutes. Squeeze out excess water. Heat the chicken stock and sherry, add gelatin and stir till dissolved. Cool until thick enough to pour. Fill the holes in the pies with the jelly using a syringe, refrigerate for 8 hours and serve.

From Pastry by Richard Bertinet (£20, Ebury Press)

Classic Pork Pies