Pork and Herb Pies

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These delicious little nuggets are a fabulous alternative to the everyday savoury. Perfect for a picnic or lunch box because you can make them in muffin sizes or larger as a family pie. A brilliant way to use up that one dangly sausage or left over mince – check my recipe for a veggie alternative. Xx

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

3 eggs
flour for dusting
(450 g) 3 sheets savoury short crust pastry, defrosted
100 g pork mince*
225 g sausage meat*
100 g ham, cooked, finely chopped*
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp sage, finely chopped
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp mustard powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp milk

*falafel mix & feta

Instructions

Boil your eggs so they are medium soft, place immediately in some chilled water, drain and set aside until ready to use.  Lightly grease 6 individual pie tins or a large 6 hole muffin tin.

Dust your bench with a little flour and roll your pastry to out to 3mm thickness.  Using a large cookie cutter, cut your pastry to fit into the base of your tin so you have a little over hanging at the top.  Gently ease the pastry into the tins, then pop in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.  Repeat with the remaining pastry to make the lids for your pies. Pop on a plate, cover with a little glad wrap, rest and chill in the fridge.

In a large bowl, mix together the mince, sausage meat, ham, (or falafel mix) spring onions, herbs, parsley and mustard powder.  Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 200c.   Peel your eggs and cut in half – through the middle.

Remove the pastry cases from the fridge, take a handful of mince mixture, form into a little patty in your hand and pat into place at the bottom of your pie case, make a small well in the middle and gently nestle half an egg into the mixture, so the egg is flush with the top of the mixture.  Cover will a little more meat mixture and repeat until all eggs and mixture is finished.

Using a little milk, paint the edges of your pastry cover with a lid and pinch together the edges.  Pop a couple of holes in the top, careful to remember where the egg is, glaze with the milk and repeat.

Bake for 25 minutes, until your pies are golden and delicious.

Serve: with a side salad, sauce or I just cram a whole one in my mouth and hope no one is looking!

Jax Says : for a fabulous vegetarian alternative, replace the pork / sausage / ham with falafel mix and feta or chopped roasted veggies and mozzarella.