method for the gammon
Add all the ingredients for the meat to your pot top with your gammon joint fat side up. Set to meat and time for 45mins, or if doing on a stove top set for two hours: be guided by the weight and check the packet. Drain and reserve the liquid strain out any additions of veg and seasoning. Put your joint into a suitable dish or box and top with weight I use my pestle and mortar.
Once cooled set into the fridge.
In pictures:
method for the chicken
Put your liquor back into your pressure cooker add chicken thighs and set too meat cook for 15 mins. Drain the chicken cool and set into a fridge.
Method for the pastry
Sift your flour and salt, I use my food mixer for this. Chop down your cold butter into cubes add into the flour. Blend until it becomes breadcrumbs check for lumps of butter. Add your egg whilst blending then begin trickling in your water, you may not need it all. Soon as it forms a ball take it out and set it in clingfilm.
Put into the fridge for 30mins to rest and chill. Now you need to assess your dish, mine needs a third for top and two-thirds for the base.
Pop the base (wrapped) back into the fridge and concentrate on your top. Put some flour onto a work surface roll into a circle or square depending on your dish.
Once you're happy with the size and depth, place on a board and put it back into the fridge, repeat the process for your base.
Leave an over lap on the dish and set this into the fridge with grease proof paper and baking beans in it. I use rice for this and store it away for the next pie.
Now heat your oven to 180c, add tin suitable to put your pie onto. Once the oven's hot get your base dish and set it in the oven for 10 mins, then take the rice and paper
Return the pastry base to the oven for another 10 mins after which it should be ready to fill.
Method for the sauce
Firstly taste your gammon and chicken liquid: this is important as gammon can be very salty so we need to reduce or dilute. If it's tasty and right; reduce by half so you can add your milk. If it's too salty: only add some to your milk! Taste! Taste! Taste! Once happy the liquid we will then be added to your roux. Melt butter in a small pan and add all the other ingriedients bar the liquids.
Stir to form a roux and heat until it's combined and starts to change colour and becomes a soft paste.
Now add your prepared warm liquid and whisk until combined.
Put your sliced onion into a microwavable pot cook for 1 minute shake or stir then cook for another minute to soften
Add to your saucepan with the other ingredients.
Stir through leave to cook for 10 minutes or as long as you like, cover on a low heat.
Check your seasoning, add salt and pepper if necessary, combine and chill. I set over an ice block you can never add it hot to pastry.
Method for the pie
So we are good to assemble this monster...
Slice your cold meat thinly or thickly, this is your pie! I like a medium slice of about 4mm ish.
Add some sauce to your blind baked pastry base as the first layer
Tip - Always put some sauce beneath as it's gonna bubble upwards keeping your meat moist. Sounds obvious but I thought it's worth a just mention. ( It's all to do with weight, meat is heavier than liquid NVM it's science stuff boring! )
Continue making layers: gammon, sauce, chicken, sauce, optional mash potato & sauce! Repeat & continue until your dish is near full. It's gonna bubble all your sauce out if you over fill it! So don't mess it up, ya don't need the mess and a dry pie. It's an UGH moment if ya do, ya have been warned! Got the picture? I have done this :¬P
prepare the pie lid
Egg-wash the underside of the top of the pastry then flip over the pie dish add your pastry top or even a potato mash top if not using with in. ( Switching it up wow which too chose pastry base topped with mashed potato or a pastry pie with mash with in. My go to is mash on the side of a pastry pie but the choice is entirely yours ;-)
Crimp the edge of the pie or use a fork to ensure a seal. Add some fancy shapes made out left over pastry if you like.
Bake for 45 mins @ 180c on a tray. Test the middle is hot with a sharp knife if the knife does not seem hot return the pie for another 10 to 15 mins. Set aside once baked then wait, you wait, wait and wait some more as this is baking hot & that delicious sauce is going to pour out, possibly burning you on route if not room temperature! Minimum rest is 15mins.
Get two plates. Say hello and let the sauce and meat marry each
other like resting a joint. This marriage needs ta not be an
argument or you're gonna get a pastry mess! Say a little prayer
gather up your BIG PANTS
Put one plate over the top of your pie dish and flip your pie
quickly & pray a little more
Get the other presentation plate ready. Bash, oops! Gently remove the pie dish: wiggle shake etc. Okay! Bash with a rolling pin if your mood takes you that way! (Nil patience)
Now you have to flip it over again! How are we doing on those prayers!?
Leave for a moment so the pie and you relax again now this is your moment.... Get a very sharp large knife cut out slice with confidence. The pie's still warm, the room's filled with that familiar pastry smell.
Oops! Was the pie still too warm to cut? Yup! It ends up looking like this if it's not quite cool enough to cut, but it's still delicious:
But! If you allow it cool enough, it should slice just fine :¬)
Stand back and admire your layers if ya did the work right you
should have this pink, white & pink all coated in a delicious
sauce; The effort will vanish, if not you can buy something
similar to this in the shops. Well um
actually, a slice from the shop costs what 1/2 a pie costs; nigh
on £3.50! It was way before covid and the cost of living crisis
here. So if you make it, I congratulate you, the rewards are
there for you! Effort = 2 | rewards = HUGE PIE + less money.
Serve with? Well it's obvious, a small plate, knife and fork NOW! Or, you can make mash, carrots & gravy etc. etc. I'm having my slice now. Wary of the fridge raider. Enjoy :¬P
