How to make perfect pastry for the ultimate picnic pies

I had never even thought of making a pork pie until roughly this time two years ago. I love to eat them almost as much as my youngest sister, Willow, who between the ages of three and six consumed at least one a day.

But we were content to scoff the little ones mum bought from the supermarket, slathered in grainy mustard and served with tomatoes and cheese at lunchtime. Besides, the Victorian images of pots of bones and trotters bubbling away for hours on end never appealed.

Pork pies, then, were always delicious, but not immediately on my culinary to-do list.

That was until I became involved with the wild and wonderful world ofThe Great British Bake Off. Thanks to a certain Mr Hollywood I found myself having to make a traditional game pie. It was my first attempt at hot water crust pastry, and a savoury jelly. If you watched this episode you will have seen my face rigid with panic as I whacked the oven up in a desperate attempt to cook my over-filled and over-decorated creation.

Though (thankfully) those trials are behind me, my relationship with hot water crust has continued. I enjoy pastry making but have always found it to be more precise and laborious than, say, creating cakes and biscuits. Hot water crust pastry, I discovered, is different.

It’s simple to make (melting and mixing is all that’s required), and you end up with a soft, warm dough that, once allowed to cool for a few moments, firms up and becomes easy to handle – almost effortless. It sticks together well and can take a couple of re-rolls (unlike puff). All in all I am a convert.

The filling for your pie can be flexible. Pork and sage; lamb and cumin; roasted peppers and courgettes – everything is delicious when wrapped in hot water crust pastry. My little pork and apple numbers below (which by no means involve pots of bubbling bones) are perfect for picnics, and making them can be an activity to keep bored children busy in the school holidays.

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For me, the summer means wedding season, which naturally means cakes, and lots of them! The ARAN Bakery shop is changing faster than I can keep up with (if you’re interested in tracking its process, pop over to our Facebook page for some recent snaps).

My boyfriend, James, and I did, however, manage to sneak away for a quick four-day trip to Lake Garda for a friend’s wedding, and even better – I wasn’t in charge of the cake! It was idyllic, and we spent our short time there lapping up as much prosecco, octopus and tiramisu as we could manage.

It seemed a whole world away from my current hectic lifestyle, but nonetheless I am happy to be back living on a dusty building site, and fighting James for the last pork pie.

Hot water crust pastry

MAKES

1kg

INGREDIENTS

• 200g lard

• 550g plain flour

METHOD

1. Heat the lard with 200ml water in a pan over a gentle heat.

2. Once melted, and the mixture is not bubbling or spitting, take it off the heat.

3.  Stir in the flour to form a dough. Allow to cool for a minute or two before rolling out and using.

Picnic pie

MAKES

One 20cm pie

INGREDIENTS

• 1 quantity of hot water crust pastry (as per recipe above)

• 1 yellow pepper

• 1 red pepper

• 1 large courgette

• 60g cooked potatoes

• 2 large cooked beetroot

• ½ sweet potato

• 100g asparagus

• 4 rashers bacon

• Leaves from a small bunch of basil

• 1 egg, beaten

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180^oC/Gas 4.

2. Roll out two thirds of the pastry until it is 3mm thick and use this to line a 20cm loose-bottomed tin.

3. Cut the peppers into large chunks, discarding the pith and seeds. Press down to flatten and slice them across horizontally, into very thin slices.

4. Cut the courgette into three then finely slice lengthways. Cut the potato to a similar thickness, as well as the beetroot. Repeat for the uncooked sweet potato. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and cut the spears in half lengthways.

5. Layer up the vegetables, bacon and basil leaves in the tin to make a nice colour pattern. Press down as you go to make sure the layers are compact.

6. Roll out the remaining third of the pastry to form a lid. Brush the edge of the pastry case with beaten egg then press the lid firmly on top, making sure you seal it well.

7. Trim any excess then crimp the edge between you finger and thumb. Use any excess pastry to decorate the top (I like to cut out leaf shapes).

8. Brush the pie with more beaten egg, then use a fork to form a few steam holes.

9. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour until golden brown and a knife goes through the centre of the pie easily.

10. Allow to cool completely before tucking in.

Pork and apple pie

MAKES

14 to 16 pies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 apple

• 500g pork mince

• Leaves from a small bunch of sage

• Leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme

• 1 quantity of hot water crust pastry (as per recipe above)

• 1 egg

• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180^oC/Gas 4.

2. Core and finely chop the apple, keeping the skin on. Place in a bowl with the mince. Finely chop the sage and add to the bowl along with the thyme leaves and a little seasoning. Mix all together with your hands until well combined.

3. Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick and cut out 14 to 16 discs roughly 8cm in diameter. They should be large enough to line the holes of a muffin tray (use two trays, or assemble and bake in batches).

4. Press in each disc to line the holes of the muffin tray, making sure the pastry comes up to the top of each hole.

5. Take portions of the mince mixture and roll between your palms to make balls large enough to fill the pastry cases. Press one into each pastry case to flatten.

6. Re-roll the excess pastry and cut into discs roughly 6cm in diameter to form the lids.

7. Beat the egg and use it to brush the mince and the edge of the pastry cases. Press a lid on top, making sure you create a tight seal between the case and lid. Brush the top with more beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

8. Use a fork to form small holes in the pastry lid through to the meat. Repeat with the remaining pies.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the centre of the pies are cooked through and the pastry is golden brown.

10. Allow the pies to cool completely before cutting open. I like to serve these with good chutney.