Springform

[Walker570]

OK, you might wonder what I am on about, but some of you might be aware of spring form baking tins. Here is a very good idea for the use of one.

U have three different sizes from 6 inches through 9 inches to 12 inches and I use them to make game pies.

I am sure we have all had offcuts of venison, a brace of knocked about pheasants no other gun wants, etc etc and wonder how to use it all up. See how much you have when it is all ground up, doesn't matter if you finish with more than you need to fill the tin because the mixture also makes superb burgers. Add some crushed garlic or dried garlic to taste, then black pepper a little celery salt and any other herbs that you like. You can also grind up some black pudding along with the meat. Then take about a third the quantity of a mix of smoked streaky bacon and pork belly(Aldi) and grind this all up as well ...oh!! yes, use the course grinder, not too fine. Then add two or three large serving spoons full of drained pickled chopped jalapenos.

Amazingly if you don't have these then dried apricots will also work. Once you have it all well mixed and seasoned to your taste, then grease the inside of the spring form and cut a strip of non stick baking sheet to fit neatly around the sides. It will stick to the grease (prefer beef dripping).

This will allow the pie to release easily when you open the tin after cooking. Now the important bit, the pastry. This is to be a hot water pastry.

For a 12 inch tin I use 6oz of beef dripping and 20oz of plain flour plus 1/2 pint of water. Cut the dripping up into small chunks and pour on the water in a suitable saucepan. Turn on the oven to it's lowest setting and put the flour in a large oven proof mixing bowl and hollow it out ready to pour in the liquid. Put this in the oven to warm... not cook!! Then bring the water and fat to melting and as soon as it starts to boil, remove the flour from the oven and pour on the liquid. Mix it will a wooden spatula whilst it stands on a thick towel, because you do not want this pastry to cool. Finally mould it with your hands into a smooth paste. Take about 2/3rds and put it in the spring form and using a flat bottom glass press it out thinly to the sides and using fingers and the glass carefully raise it up and with the glass roll it around to a thin layer 1/8 to 3/16ths thick. Once this is done tip in the meat and press it tightly into the pastry case until 1/4 inch from the top. Then brush egg around the edge. Take the other pastry and roll this out to a similar thickness and big enough to cover the pie with a bit to spare. Carefully roll the pastry onto your roller in order to lift it onto the pie and lay it out without it splitting or breaking. Then with finger and thumb go around and firmly pinch the top and edge together. Cut off excess level with the top edge. You can now go round with a fork and further press the edge and leave a tidy pattern.

You must keep the pastry warm because once it goes cold it just goes brittle and breaks up. Paint the top with egg and put it on a tray and in a hot oven 220. After about 20 mins check and if it is just starting to brown then cover it with a piece of baking foil and leave at 220 for another hour.

Then if you have one, check with a meat temp gauge for 'beef well done'. If it is about there then take the tinfoil off and leave it for a further 15 minutes, which dries it off and crisps up the pastry.

 

Once out of the oven let it cool and then undo the springform and peel the non stick paper from the sides and they should be a nice even mid brown colour ...like any pork pie you buy. Don't be afraid to leave it in the oven a few minutes longer, just watch the colour so you don't burn it.

Better the pastry is crisp not soggy.

 

If your feeling artistic, before you put it in the oven, you can cut out pheasants, ducks, leaf shapes whatever from any left over pastry and lay this on top it will stick to the egg covered top then give the whole thing a good brushing with egg.

 

I do these pies for our shoot 'elevensies' and they go down very well. Any left over meat, press them into burgers.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Sounds lovely, can you deliver?