IN SEASON


Hot Water & Hand Raised


worth the effort. We recommend setting some time aside at the weekend and using this Leith’s guide to achieve a pie to be proud of...


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HOT WATER CRUST PASTRY MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS


150ml water 60g butter 60g lard


350g plain flour Three-quarter tsp salt 1 large egg


1 Put the water into a medium-sized saucepan. Cut the butter and lard into 1-cm cubes and add these to the pan. Place over a low heat and melt the fats; the water must not boil before they have melted.


2 Meanwhile, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Break the egg into a small bowl, beat lightly with a fork and pour into the well. Carefully flick flour over the egg to protect it from the hot water and fats.


3 Once the fats have melted, increase the heat and bring to the boil. As it comes to a rolling boil, take off the heat and pour over the flour in the bowl. Immediately mix everything together well with a cutlery knife, until you can no longer see any dry flour. The pastry should be warm and greasy to the touch.


4 Bring the dough together in your hands until smooth, then divide into 2 pieces, one twice the size of the other.


5 Shape the smaller piece of pastry into a disc, 10–12cm in diameter, and the larger piece into a disc, 15–18cm in diameter. The discs should be smooth, with no cracks or pleats. Wrap both individually in cling film and chill for 45–60 mins for the fats to firm up.


6 Cut a disc of greaseproof paper for the outside base of the dish and a band to go around the outside walls. Stick the greaseproof paper to the outside of the dish using sticky tape. Now place the dish on a large sheet of cling film and bring the cling film up the sides of the dish and down into it, pulling it so it is taut. The soufflé dish is now ready for the pastry.


18 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER


ot water pastry and raised pies are the trickiest to master in the world of pies. Although a little time consuming, they are well


Shaping a raised pie Leith’s Guide:


7 Remove the larger disc of pastry from the fridge; it should be firm, but pliable. Turn the soufflé dish upside down and lay the pastry across the upturned base. Gently ease the pastry down the sides of the dish. The warmth from your hands will help to soften the pastry a little and make it easier to mould. Avoid pushing too firmly or the pastry will crack. Roll a rolling pin lightly across the top of the dish or use your hands flat against the top, to encourage the pastry to expand and ease down the sides of the dish.


8 With your fingers flat against the side of the dish, gently ease the pastry down (as shown). You need to work on the top and sides alternately to coat the dish all over in an even layer of pastry. Avoid using your fingers over the corners of the dish as this can easily create a thin layer of pastry. Place uncovered on a tray in the fridge for 5–6 hours, or ideally overnight, for it to firm even more and dry out.


How to Cook Pastry (Leith’s How to Cook) by Leith’s School of Food and Wine, published by Quadrille Publishing Ltd.


The aim is to make a watertight container in which meat is cooked in the oven with just a band of baking parchment around the sides as support. The pastry must be thick enough to withstand the weight of the meat, but not so thick that it is unpleasant to eat. It must not have any weak points or be too thin, or the pie will collapse.


It is therefore important that the original shaping of the warm pastry into a disc creates no pleats, and that when shaping around the dish, it is not forced or pushed too hard, which could cause it to crack or break. While the pastry is chilling, prepare the mould for the raised pie. Traditionally, a wooden mould is used. A large 400ml soufflé dish, 12.5cm in diameter, works well (individual pies can be raised without moulds).


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