Pork Sausage and Poultry Meat Pie

A meat pie is an impressive dish that's easier to make than you might think. The key is a hot-water butter crust that comes together in minutes with just four ingredients. For best results, I recommend baking this pie in a convection oven, as it yields a more moist meat filling than a conventional oven.

You can prepare the pie filling a day in advance to maximize its flavor. While traditional meat pies don't include vegetables, I like to add leeks and oyster mushrooms. If you use vegetables like mushrooms, roast them first for better flavor and to reduce excess moisture during baking. The gelatin added to the mix will take care of that, so roasting the veggies is optional.

Traditionally, gelatin is added after the pie is baked, but I simplify the process by adding it before baking. This will help condense the fluids as the pie cools.

You will need a 14 by 24 cm (5.5 by 9.5 inch) pan, and placing parchment paper in the mold is highly recommended for easy unmolding.

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:

1 lb of pork sausage meat

1.5 lbs of poultry meat

4 grams agar agar or 2 envelopes of gelatin

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 leek stem

200 grams / 7 oz oyster mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup of soy sauce

1 twig of rosemary

1 twig of sage or 1.5 teaspoons dried sage

5 twigs of thyme

2 fresh cloves of garlic

Fresh pepper

For the crust:

400 grams (about 2 cups) of flour

175 ml (3/4 cup) hot water

113 grams (8 tablespoons) of butter

1.5 teaspoons of salt

1 egg for egg washing

PREPATION

First, cut the poultry meat into small 1/2 inch pieces. Place both the poultry and sausage in a large bowl. Add the leeks and mushrooms. I roasted the mushrooms and leeks for 25 minutes to add flavor, but you can skip this step.

Finely chop all the spices and add them to the meat. Also, add the agar agar or gelatin, salt, and soy sauce. Mix well and set aside.

To prepare the crust, heat the water and the butter in a small saucepan. Heat until the water is about to boil, then let the butter melt completely.

Add the hot liquid to the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Once the dough is cool enough to handle, knead by hand until smooth and uniform. The dough should be soft and warm at this stage. Cut off two-thirds of the dough and shape it into a long roll. Roll it out with a rolling pin to form a rectangle large enough to cover all sides of the pan.

Line the long side of the pan with a sheet of parchment paper that extends beyond the pan so you can lift the pie out after baking. Use a strip of parchment to line the narrow side of the pan as well.

Carefully place the rolled-out dough in the pan. Make sure it does not break or have holes. If you accidentally make a hole, repair it in the dough. Stretch it to cover all the corners.

Add the meat mixture to the pan in layers, pressing each layer firmly to remove any air pockets. Repeat until the pan is full.

Now roll out the top crust. Make two holes in the crust to vent steam during baking. This helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

Use the egg wash to paint the top edges of the dough base (the part that is already in the pan).

Place the cover and press gently on the edges. Make sure there are no air pockets. With a knife, cut the excess dough. Crimp the edges or leave them as is. You might also like to decorate the top of the pie or just leave it as is.

Before you bake it, apply the egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven in the convection-bake mode to 380°F / 190 °C, or in a regular oven to 400°F, for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350°F / 180°C and bake for about 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F / 66 °C.

Let the pie cool in the pan for about 3 hours before slicing. This allows the filling to set properly.

It makes 8 slices.

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