Pistachio & cranberry pork pie

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only

Make this extra special pork pie recipe a couple of days ahead, ready to slice into at your festive buffet party

  • Prep:25 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 25 mins
  • Serves 8
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 552
  • fat 29g
  • saturates 10g
  • carbs 55g
  • sugars 11g
  • fibre 3g
  • protein 22g
  • salt 0.44g

Ingredients

  • 300g cranberry
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • juice ½ orange
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
  • 2 garlic clove, crushed
  • few thyme sprigs, leaves only
  • 6 sage leaves, chopped
  • 500g pork mince
  • 75g pistachio
  • little freshly grated nutmeg
  • 450g plain flour
  • 100g lard
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 1 egg, beaten

Tip

More ways with cranberries
Fry a good handful cranberries with 1 tbsp soft brown sugar and a little butter for a few mins until softened. Stir into a beef, venison or game stew. Or, simmer 200g cranberries with 140g sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and zest and juice 1 orange. Spoon over vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

Method

  1. Put the cranberries in a pan with the sugar and orange juice. Bring to a simmer, then cook until the berries start to burst and the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool.

  2. Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the bacon and garlic, and cook until the bacon starts to brown, then stir through the thyme, sage and some seasoning. Allow it to cool slightly, then mix with the pork and pistachios. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Set aside.

  3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the flour into a bowl with 2 tsp salt. Put lard and milk into a pan with 150ml water, then heat until the lard has completely melted. Pour into the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until a ball of dough is formed. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

  4. Take two-thirds of the pastry and roll out between two sheets of baking parchment into a circle large enough to line the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin (about 4-6cm high with a slight overhang. Press the pastry into the tin making sure to push it into the corners. Pile half the filling into the pastry and flatten into an even layer. Spread over two-thirds of the cranberry sauce, then finish with remaining pork and roughly smooth the top. Keep the rest of the cranberry sauce in the fridge to serve with the pie.

  5. Roll out remaining pastry between baking parchment and cut to a 20cm round. Place onto the pie and glaze the edge with some beaten egg. Fold up the overhanging pastry and press down to seal. Make a steam hole with the tip of a knife, then glaze the pie with more beaten egg. Cook for 30 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Continue cooking for 40 mins until the pastry is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the pie and left for 10 secs feels very hot. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with the reserved cranberry sauce. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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