10 mins
Mini Pork Pies with Quails' Eggs
Recipe by Graham
I love a pork pie - it's one of my (many) weaknesses! Sometimes, though, a whole pork pie is just too much, particularly when there's no-one around to share it with, and that's when I like to pick up a Mini Pork Pie with Quail's Egg. Put it all together with a few scallions, cheese and tomatoes, and you've got a lunch that anyone would be proud of.
Mini Frittatas 
Mini Manx Beef Burgers with Blue Cheese Ingredients for Mini Pork Pies with Quails' Eggs
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Mini Pork Pies with Quails' Eggs
- 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!
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
To really finish of this meal, serve the pie(s) with Green Tomato Chutney
Reviews of Mini Pork Pies with Quails' Eggs
 January 17 2019I was very hesitatnt about trying out this recipe because it looked complicated. But once I got into it, it was actually a lot of fun. And the end result was delicious. We had our mini pork pies for lunch with a light salad, and they were both unusual and delicious. gail (4 reviews) |
 September 19 2014This recipe is made using pork wrapped in pie crust- hence it is indeed a pork pie! Nowhere does it claim to be the traditional Melton Mowbry pie! But I'll tell you this - it's way more delicious than any Melton Mowbray pie I've ever eaten (and I love Melton Mowbray pork pies!!). Was it worth all the cooking? Yes, it was because you'll simply get nothing even near to these for taste in the shops. And anyway, I made them for a buffet with guests and there were loads and loads of very complimentary comments about them and lots of "You must let me have the recipe my dear!" OK, it was a lot of work, but nothing is for nothing and these paid me back in spades. I'm a VERY happy bunny. 5 out of 5 HannahFromScotland (2 reviews) |
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