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Pork and fennel raised pie

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for pork and fennel raised pie.

By Emma Knowles
  • 45 mins preparation
  • 2 hrs 10 mins cooking plus resting, marinating, cooling
  • Serves 10
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Pork and fennel raised pie

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp white peppercorns
  • 3 tsp fennel seeds
  • 600 gm pork neck, finely diced
  • 500 gm pork shoulder, finely diced
  • 150 gm finely minced pork belly
  • 150 gm mild pancetta, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp each finely chopped sage and thyme
  • Finely grated rind of 1 orange
  • For brushing: eggwash
  • To serve: mild English mustard and cornichons
Lard pastry
  • 500 gm plain flour (3 1/3 cups)
  • 200 gm lard (see note)
  • 5 egg yolks
Sherry jelly
  • 170 ml chicken stock
  • 80 ml dry sherry
  • 3 gelatine leaves (titanium strength), softened in cold water for 10 minutes

Method

Main
  • 1
    For lard pastry, place flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre then add lard and 2 tsp fine sea salt. Rub lard into flour with your fingertips until fine crumbs form, then make a well in the centre. Combine yolks and 110ml cold water in a jug and whisk to combine, then add to well. Stir to combine, then turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead to just bring together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (1 hour).
  • 2
    Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add fennel, onion and garlic and sauté until very tender (8-10 minutes).
  • 3
    Pound spices in a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground, add to onion mixture and cook until fragrant (1 minute), then cool.
  • 4
    Combine meats, herbs, orange rind and onion mixture in a bowl, season generously with sea salt, mix well. Refrigerate for flavours to combine (2-3 hours or until required).
  • 5
    Preheat oven to 180C. Roll out a quarter of the pastry to a 7mm-thick round and refrigerate until required. Roll out remaining pastry to a 35cm-diameter round and line the base and sides of a 20cm-diameter, 10cm-deep springform pan, allowing excess to overhang. Fill with pork mixture, brush edges with eggwash, top with reserved pastry round and press edges to seal. Trim and crimp edges, then cut out a 1cm-diameter round from centre of lid. Bake for 30 minutes, reduce oven to 160C and bake for 1¼ hours. Carefully remove sides of pan, brush sides of pie with eggwash and bake until golden (15-20 minutes), then cool to room temperature.
  • 6
    Meanwhile, for sherry jelly, combine stock and sherry in a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Squeeze excess water from gelatine, then add to pan and stir until dissolved. Transfer to a jug, then gradually pour into pie through hole in top, lifting pastry with tip of a small knife and tipping pie to distribute evenly, allowing jelly mixture to subside before adding more. Refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours), then serve with mustard and cornichons. Pie will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Note Lard is available from supermarkets, but home-rendered lard has a better flavour. Order pork back fat from your butcher, place in a large saucepan with a little water and cook over low heat until fat renders.
Drink Suggestion: Rustic farmhouse cider. Drink suggestion by Max Allen

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  • undefined: Emma Knowles