Subj : St. Fergus 15
To   : All
From : Dave Drum
Date : Mon Mar 29 2021 22:26:54

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: British Savory Pie w/Fergus Henderson
 Categories: Game, Pastry, Vegetables, Wine, Herbs
      Yield: 6 Servings

MMMMM--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
    200 ml Veal stock
  2 1/4 c  Smoked lardons
      1    Bird; jointed *
     12    Shallots; peeled
      1    Knob of butter for frying
      2    Bay leaves
      1    Sprig of thyme
      1    Splash of wine
      2    Ladles good chicken stock
           Salt & pepper
      1    (3") piece of veal shin bone

MMMMM---------------------------PASTRY--------------------------------
  1 1/2 c  Self-raising flour
    3/4 c  Suet
      1 lg Pinch of sea salt
      1    Egg yolk; beaten
    1/2 c  Cold water

  * use either a guineafowl, a small chicken, a pheasant, or a large-ish
  pigeon. A rabbit works well, too.

  The filling comes first because it takes the longest. Begin by getting
  an oven-proof frying pan hot, adding a knob of butter, and browning
  the whole or jointed bird over a medium flame. Do this for three or
  four minutes on each side, until the surface is golden in patches and
  sizzling. (In this case, guinea fowl, but chicken is a fine
  substitute).

  Then, remove the meat and fry off the base ingredients over a medium
  flame for five minutes (thatCÇÖs half-thumb sized pieces of thick-cut
  bacon, and whole shallots and cloves of garlic) in butter or oil until
  everything is "pleasingly pale golden."

  When the bird goes back in, itCÇÖll do so along with generous glugs of
  "whatever white wine is in the fridge door", and a tied-up bunch of
  fresh thyme (a trick to "stop them being like toothpicks" at the end)
  and bay leaves. From here, a couple of ladlefuls of chicken stock go
  in before the trotter gear (or veal stock from your local grocer) is
  added.

  Put a lid or tinfoil over the pan, and pop in the oven for around 45
  minutes. If that sounds rough, it is-just make sure itCÇÖs "covered,
  and a medium temperature," as Fergus says. "Ovens in people's home
  are always totally different," he explains, "so if you go with
  directions like hot and medium at least you have a rough idea of
  where you are."

  Once this is ready, let cool and remove the bones, and refrigerate for
  12 hours. ItCÇÖs essential that the filling goes into the pie cold so as
  not to "play havoc with your pastry."

  While your filling cools, get your pastry together by mixing together
  flour, suet, and sea salt, and then add water "cautiously, a
  tablespoon at a time" until you achieve a firm dough. "You want to
  work it as little as possible," says Fergus. Make sure to let it rest
  in the fridge for a couple of hours. "It should be cold," he
  comments, but as long as youCÇÖve done that, "it's quite forgiving.
  Behaves itself well. In the pastry world, it's friendly, useful."

  Then, cut in half and roll into 1 cm ("about a quarter of an inch, but
  you don't have to measure it") thick rounds-one for the top, and one
  for the base. "We're making a proper pie here," says Fergus sternly,
  "and a proper pie should have a base. A lot of places will sell a pie
  which is just a stew with a top. It's a crime. We're really dressing
  the pie here."

  Pick out a reasonably deep, round dish that has "enough space to get
  enough pie mix into the pie, so the bottom and top have enough going
  on between them."

  Fergus centers his pie around a decent chunk of roasted veal
  shin-bone, the marrow from which can be scooped out and eaten with
  the pie. Any reasonably hefty bone can be used, but as Fergus says:
  "Bones are erratic, so you have to judge [the roasting time] based on
  the thickness." Roast until the marrow begins to separate from the
  bone; 20 or so minutes in a hot oven should do it. This, too, needs
  to be cooled before going anywhere near the pastry.

  Press the pastry into the bottom of the dish, and arrange a generous
  amount of your cooled filling around the bone.

  Then, cut a big cross in the middle of the second round, and lay
  carefully over the top. Seal the top and bottom with a beaten egg.

  After youCÇÖve crimped down the sides with your thumbs, roughly trim the
  sides, leaving "a lot overhanging" around the sides, to go crunchy and
  brown in the oven.

  Spread the rest of the egg over the top for "a glamorous sheen-itCÇÖs
  all about high glamur".

  RECIPE FROM: https://firstwefeast.com

  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

MMMMM

.... Them ain't oil leaks, son! That Harley is just marking its territory!!

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-5
 * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

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