Fursty Ferret Pork Pies
13th April 2021
Nothing beats a classic pork pie – except ones with some Badger beer in the recipe. Prepare these beauties before you leave home to perfect a no-cook campsite picnic… and win the coveted title of Camp Hero.
After all, you can’t build an epic campfire on an empty stomach.
Serves 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
For the filling:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
150ml Fursty Ferret
1 heaped tsp chopped thyme leaves
4 Lincolnshire sausages
5 rashers unsmoked streaky bacon, cut into 2cm pieces
For the pastry:
250g strong plain bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
100g lard, cut into cubes
6 cooked quail eggs
1 medium egg, beaten
For the beer jelly:
1 leaf of gelatine
75ml Fursty Ferret
How to make it:
1. Cook the onion, Fursty Ferret and thyme until the onion has softened and the beer has evaporated. Then remove and cool.
2. Remove and discard the skin from the sausages and place the meat in a bowl. Add the bacon, cooled onion, season and mix.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/gas 6) and place a baking sheet in the oven to warm up.
4. Next, sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Place the lard in a saucepan with 75ml cold water. Bring to the boil gradually so the lard has melted into the water. Pour immediately into the flour mixture and stir together to form a dough.
5. Work quickly and when cool enough to handle, remove a third of the dough and cover with foil to keep warm.
6. Roll out the remaining two thirds to about 3mm thick and cut out 6 x 11cm circles using a large pastry cutter. Use to line 6 holes of a nonstick muffin tin, ensuring the pastry is pressed into the sides of the tin.
7. Divide half of the sausage and bacon mixture between the pies, pressing it down, place a quails egg in the middle of the meat and top with the remaining sausage mixture.
8. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out 6 x 9cm circles. Brush the edges of the filled pies with egg wash and place the lids on top. Crimp the edges together to seal and brush with egg. Make a hole in each pie using a funnel or a small wooden spoon handle and bake in the preheated oven on the baking sheet for 35–40 minutes until golden.
9. Remove from the muffin tin and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
10. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaf in water until softened. Bring the Fursty Ferret to a simmer (not boil) in a pan, remove from the heat and squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine, and stir into the hot beer until dissolved.
11. Using a jug or a small funnel pour the beer mixture into the top of each pie until the cavities in the pies are full.
12. Set overnight in the fridge before serving.
Tip: Delicious served with piccalilli or tomato chutney.
