Old English Country Recipes

"Simple Simon met a pieman" - that was in the eighteenth century, but did you know that pies were eaten in England over 600 years ago? In the Middle Ages the pastry case was called a "coffyn". The pastry was necessary when people didn't have many plates!

Makes a pie for 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
For the filling -
2 1/2lbs game (rabbit, grouse, partridge or pheasant)
1/2 lb lean pork
1/2 lb veal
salt & pepper
pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dried herbs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
For the pastry (hot water crust)
1 lb plain flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
6oz lard
2/3 cup (10 tablespoons) water
1 small beaten egg to glaze
For the jellied stock
1/2 pint stock
1 level teaspoon powdered gelatine
salt & pepper

Cut meat into chunky pieces (removing any bones). Rinse and dry thoroughly.
Mince pork and veal together into bowl and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg
mixed herbs and chopped parsley.

Sift flour and salt into warm bowl and make a well in the centre. Put lard and
water in saucepan, bring to boil then remove from heat at once. Pour liquid in
centre of flour and mix rapidly with wooden spoon until the pastry is cool enough
to handle. Knead dough with hands until pastry is quite smooth and free from
cracks. Shape into neat round, cut off 1/3 of dough for lid and keep this on one
side in a warm bowl covered with a cloth.

Mould rest of pastry in a greased and floured large game pie tin or a 6 inch loose
bottomed cake tin. Work up the sides of tin with fingers and leave for 5 minutes
to set. Fill pie case putting layer of minced meat all round inside of case,
reserving 2 tablespoons for top, and fill centre with game pieces. Cover with
layer of remaining minced meat.

Shape remaining 1/3 pastry to form lid, trim edges and reserve to make
decorative leaves. Damp pastry edges and press round on top of pie, sealing
edges together well. Mark edges with fork and make a hole in the centre.
Decorate with pastry trimmings. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake in a hot oven (400 deg.F or Gas Mark 6) for 30 minutes, then reduce
heat to moderate (350 deg F or Gas Mark 4) and continue cooking for 1 hour.
If necessary cover pie with greaseproof paper to prevent over-browning.
Carefully remove pie from tin and glaze with remaining beaten egg.
Return to oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, fill hot pie with prepared stock and leave in cool place to set.

To make jellied stock: Put stock and gelatine into pan, stir over low heat until
gelatine dissolves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into pie through
centre hole.

English Madeleines are for special English teas when visitors arrive and Mum gets out the best china. Don't confuse English and French Madeleines - the French ones are shaped like cockle shells.

Makes twelve:
4 oz butter
4 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
4 oz self-raising flour
pinch salt
1 tablespoon hot water
4 tablespoons red jam
desiccated coconut
glace cherries & angelica leaves to decorate

Grease 12 dariole moulds and lightly dust with flour. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs, a little at a time, beating really well between each addition. Fold in flour and salt with a spoon, add hot water to mix to soft dropping consistency.

Three quarters fill prepared moulds with mixture and bake at 350deg F or Gas Mark 4 for about 20 minutes until cooked through and golden. Remove from tins and carefully trim base of each cake so that they stand upright and are even in height. When nearly cold brush with a little warm, melted jam. Roll in desiccated coconut to cover evenly. Decorate the top of each cake with half a glace cherry and 2 angelica leaves.

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