Cooking From A Bygone Era

Re: Raised Pie of my older posts.  You will find the basics of the hot water pastry for the raised pie.  This pie is based on the cooking book by Eliza Acton.

FORCEMENT  FOR  COLD  PIES

‘THE VERY FINEST’ sausage-meat highly seasoned and made with an equal proportion of fat and lean is an exceedingly good forcemeat for veal, chicken, rabbit and some few other pies.  Savoury herbs minced small may be added to heighten the flavour if it is intended for immediate eating, but it will not then remain good quite so long unless they should have been previously dried.  To prevent it's too dry two or three spoons full of cold water should be mixed with it before it is put into the pie.

            ‘One Pound Of lean veal to one and a quarter of pork fat is sometimes used and smoothly pounded with a high seasoning of spices, herbs and eschalots, or garlic; but we cannot recommend the introduction of these last into pies unless they are specially ordered.  Mushrooms or truffles may be mixed with any kind of forcemeat with far better effect.  Equal parts of veal and fat bacon will also make a good forcemeat for pies if chopped finely, and well spiced.

            ‘Sausage-meat, well seasoned.  Or: veal 1 lb, pork fat 1 ½ lb, salt 1 oz, pepper ¼ to ½ oz, fine herbs minced ¼ oz, of which one-third Should be parsley and two-thirds thyme, the grated rind of half a lemon, a little grated nutmeg.  Or: veal and bacon in equal weight seasoned in the same way.’

(From Modern Cookery For Private Families by Eliza Acton 1845)

To anyone who wishes to bake a hot raised pie, this is a recipe for you.  I am sure it is going to be a delicious pie, please follow the recipe to a T.  I will be doing cooking soon, but at the moment only methods from the book or others that I like to share with you all.

Lamb Pie Hot Raised from a Bygone Era.

LAMB PIE HOT RAISED

BUTTER THE INSIDE or your cake-tin or pie-mould and stand it up on a baking sheet.  Line it with the hot-water-crust.  Have ready enough lamb chops cut from the loin nicely trimmed and wholly boned.  Lay these around the inside of the pie, alternating with a slice of raw potato about ¼ -inch thick.  Season it rather highly as you proceed, with salt, pepper, finely chopped peeled onions and chopped parsley.  Make a neat cover with the pastry.  Bake the pie about two hours in a pre-heated moderate oven (350 degrees F Mark 4).  When done, lift the cover, pour out as much fat as possible, add a little stock, made by simmering the cutlet bones in water to which a bouillon cube has been added, and serve.

 FOR HOT VEAL AND HAM PIES leave out the potatoes, but dip the veal in seasoned flour.  Raised pies are also very good made with fillet steak, or rump steak, cut in thin slices the size of the lamb chops, with a piece laid at the bottom and filling the pie alternately with seasoned meat and potatoes. They may also be made with calf's sweetbread and ham, but then a little white sauce should be poured in after the pie is baked.

(Information and recipes based on English Recipes and Others, And Now devised for Modern Use by SHEILA HUTCHINS)

Enjoy the recipes, have fun in the kitchen.  I have not cooked these pies yet.  If you tried and wishes to share the experience with me, I will be very delighted.

A picture of the last two red roses from my garden.

I am thinking of my grandson Milo Isaac, today 3 August 2012, he is one month old.  Happy birthday baby boy. Nana and Pop wish to visit you soon.

Today's Inspirational Words

We are so busy in our lives that we need to purposely

give attention to the everyday things that can make our

lives lovelier, such as keeping a vase of fresh flowers in an

obvious place, or several places in the house.  Planting

roses or other flowers for this purpose makes sense.

(Emilie Barnes, 'Things 'Happen' When ' Women Care)

Thanks For Stopping By

Until Next Post

Susy