Mini Pork Pies with Quails' Eggs

Serves: to make 6 pies

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins

FOR THE HOT WATER PASTRY

7 oz - plain flour (all purpose flour)

1½ oz - strong white bread flour

2 oz - unsalted butter

3½ fl oz - boiling water

1 teaspoon - salt

2¼ oz - lard

FOR THE FILLING

6 - quails' eggs

1 - onion

12 oz - pork loin

3½ oz - unsmoked streaky bacon

6 sprigs - parsley

1 teaspoon - sea salt & freshly-ground black pepper

1 - egg

1 - chicken stock cube

5 fl oz - boiling water

2 leaves - gelatine

Sift both types of flour into a large mixing bowl, cut the butter into cubes and, using your fingers, rub it in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Bring the water to the boil and (carefully) pour into a separate mixing bowl. Add the salt and stir, then cut the lard into cubes, place it in the hot water and continue to stir until the lard has completely melted.
Pour the lard and water mixture over the flour mixture and stir quickly but well to form a dough. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and knead into a smooth ball. You need to work fast or the dough becomes too firm to handle.
Grease a 6-hole muffin tin (cake tin) using soft kitchen tissue rubbed in a little butter. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about ⅛" (3mm). Using a circular 'cookie cutter', cut out six 6" (15cm) circles and mould each circle of pastry into a recess of the muffin tin. Cut six 4" (10cm) circles for the lids and set them aside.
Place the quails' eggs in a pan of boiling water for just two minutes then immediately cool under cold water. Carefully remove the shells and set the eggs aside.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Finely chop the pork loin, the bacon and the parsley. Place the onion, pork, bacon and parsley into a bowl, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Spoon just a little of the mixture into each pastry case, then place a quail's egg in the centre and spoon over the rest of the filling.
Beat the egg, then brush the edge of each pie case with a little beaten egg. Make a small hole on the centre of the pastry lids, then place them on top of the pies and crimp the edges together to seal completely. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 6 - 400ºF - 200ºC) for 40 minutes.
When the pies are cooked, set them aside to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water. Soak the gelatine in a little cold water until it becomes soft then squeeze out excess water. Whisk the gelatine into the warm chicken stock then pour a little into the hole in the top of each crust to fill the hollow cavity within the pie.
Allow the pies to set in the fridge overnight then serve with a selection of salad crudités like spring onions (scallions or salad onions), cheese and tomato.... yummy!