Pork and Mushroom Pie with Gentle Spices
A Rachel Allen Recipe
Ingredients:
•2 tbsp sunfl ower oil
•110g (4oz) smoked bacon, diced
•25g (1oz) butter
•110g (4oz) leek, trimmed and very finely diced
•110g (4oz) carrot, very finely diced
•275g (10oz) potato (about 1 medium), peeled and finely diced
•1kg (2lb 2oz) mixed cockles and mussels
•300ml (11fl oz) dry white wine
•200ml (7fl oz) milk
•200ml (7fl oz) single or double cream
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•4 tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
25g (1oz) butter
2 onions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
680g (1½lb) pork (shoulder or leg, fat removed), cut into 1–2cm (½–¾in) cubes
250ml (9fl oz) Chicken Stock
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
300g (11oz) button mushrooms sliced, left whole or quartered
250ml (9fl oz) single cream
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
FOR THE ROUX
25g (1oz) butter
20g (¾oz) plain flour
FOR THE TOPPING
300g (11oz) puff or shortcrust (flaky)
pastry, rolled 5mm (¼in) thick
1 egg, beaten OR Creamy Mashed Potato
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
2. To make the filling, melt the butter in a medium-size flame proof casserole dish, add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cover and sweat over low heat for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the cumin, coriander and pork. Toss for a few minutes until the pork changes colour, then add the stock. Cover and bake in the oven for 45–60 minutes, until the pork is tender.
3. While the pork is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat and toss in the mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes until they are pale golden. Add to the pork after it has baked for 30 minutes. When the pork is tender, remove the pork and mushrooms from their cooking liquid and set aside in a dish in a warm place. Add the cream to the juices in the casserole dish and boil with the lid off for a few minutes until the fl avour intensifi es.
4. To thicken the sauce, fi rst make the roux. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the fl our, stirring, and allow it to cook for 2 minutes then remove from the heat. Slowly stir the roux into the boiling cooking liquid. Add the chopped parsley and return the pork and mushrooms. Season to taste and spoon into individual gratin dishes or a large pie dish.
5. For a pastry topping, preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8. For a mashed potato topping, preheat it to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. For a pastry top, cut the pastry to the same size as the top of the pie dish and arrange over the fi lling. Make a hole in the centre for steam to escape. Brush with the beaten egg to glaze. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 and bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
6. For a mashed potato top, arrange the mashed potato on top of the filling and lightly score the surface. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling hot.