Fidget pie

FIDGET PIES - Serves 4

Takes about 40-50 minutes

450g (1lb) Premium butchers' style sausages

30ml (2tbsp) Fresh parsley, chopped

Seasoning

2-4 Pears, peeled, cored and quartered (can be left whole and placed in pie - cook really well and look very impressive)

Runny honey

1 Packet pre-made puff pastry

Slow cooked chunky chops with beans and chorizo

Egg and milk beaten together for glaze

Preheat oven to Gas mark 4-5, 180oC, 350oF.

Slit sausage skins and remove meat, place meat into a bowl - discard skins. Mix sausage meat together with parsley and seasoning.

Divide meat mixture between 2-4 individual pie dishes (about 250ml (pt) pie size) and lightly squash half the meat into the bottom of each dish.

Place two pear quarters on top of meat mixture (or the whole pear) and drizzle with runny honey (about 2.5ml or tsp). Top with remaining sausage meat.

Divide puff pastry into 2-4 depending on number of dishes and roll out pastry to make a lid for each pie. Place pastry on top of pie and brush with egg and milk.

Bake in oven for 40-50 minutes until pastry is well golden.

Serve hot with a large heap of seasonal greens or cold in a large wedge with your favourite chutney.

SLOW COOKED CHUNKY CHOPS WITH BEANS AND CHORIZO - Serves 4

Takes about 2 hours

4 Lean thick pork chops

10ml (2tsp) Olive oil

2 Cloves garlic, crushed

50g (2oz) Chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

300ml (pt) Pork stock

400g (approx) Can butter beans, drained and rinsed

400g (approx) Can baked beans

45ml (3tbsp) Tomato purée

Fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4, 180oC, 350oF. In a large heatproof casserole pot heat oil and brown chops on all sides for 3-4 minutes.

Add garlic and Chorizo sausage and allow the oil to coat chop and garlic.

Add stock, butter beans, baked beans and tomato purée.

Mix well, cover and cook in a preheated oven for 1-1 hours or until meat is tender.

Serve with fresh green seasonal vegetables and crusty brown bread for dipping!

TWICE COOKED PORK BELLY WITH CIDER,APPLE AND 5 SPICE - Serves 4

Takes about 2 hours

700g (1lb) Lean piece of belly pork

300ml (pt) Cloudy cider

Seasoning

5ml (1tsp) Chinese 5 spice

2 Star anise

2 Cox's apples, cored and quartered

15ml (1tbsp) Honey

Preheat oven to Gas 4-5, 180oC, 350oF.

Take the flat piece of belly, dry the rind and score deeply with a sharp knife.

Line a shallow roasting pan with two large pieces of foil. Add to this the cider, seasoning and spices.

Place the belly onto the foil and tuck the foil around the joint so that the liquid is against the belly joint, but leave the top dry and exposed. Brush rind with oil and sprinkle with salt.

Open roast for about an hour then open foil parcel. Add the apples (add more cider if too much has evaporated), cover over the whole joint with foil and return for a further hour.

When cooked carefully open foil, drizzle rind with honey and place under a preheated grill. Cook for about 5 minutes to finish off the crackling.

Serve cut into thick slices, drizzle with sauce and serve with apples and Chinese steamed vegetables.

PORK HOTPOT - Serves 4-6

Takes about 2 hours

900g (2lb) Lean pork collar or shoulder joint cut into large chunks

15ml (1tbsp) Oil

2 Onions, peeled and cut into chunks

3 Parsnips, peeled and cut into thick chunks

2 Large sprigs fresh sage, chopped

Seasoning

150ml (pt) Sweet fruity ale

2 White turnips, peeled and sliced

2 Large potatoes, peeled and sliced

15ml (1tbsp) Butter Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4, 180oC, 350oF. Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and pork, and brown on all sides. Add parsnips, sage, seasoning and ale.

Transfer to large ovenproof pot.

Top with slices of turnip and potato and dot with butter. Cover and cook in oven for 2 hours (remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to brown off).

Serve the hotpot traditionally with pickled red cabbage and additional seasonal vegetables.

Recipes courtesy of lovepork.co.uk

8:35am Wednesday 1st October 2008

Twice cooked pork belly with cider, apple and 5 spice

Pork hotpot

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