Hot-Water Crust Pastry

As its name implies, hot-water crust, or raised pie crust, does not follow the general rules for pastry making.

It is mixed with hot water instead of cold, and more handling is necessary for this pastry than for most other types.

When warm, hot-water crust is flexible, so that it may be moulded with the fingers into any shape, and this shape is retained as the pastry cools and hardens.

For more elaborate raised pies, special moulds are used. These are available in various sizes, and are made in two parts, joined by a hinge which enables them to be easily removed when the pie is cooked. If a mould is not available, small bread and cake tins can be used instead.

Hot-water crust or raised pies generally contain a well-seasoned meat filling such as veal and ham, or pork, game, hare, rabbit, etc. There must be no bones or gristle in the filling, and as the pies are usually eaten cold, they should be filled, after baking, withs ome well-seasoned stock, which is poured in through a hole in the top of the pastry.

When cold, this will form a jelly and will fill up any spaces between the pie crust and the meat filling. A tasty forcemeat or sausage-meat is sometimes used to line the pie and act as padding for the meat filling....

Ingredients:

1 lb of flour

2 teaspoons of salt

4 oz lard

1/3 pint water (or milk and water)

Method:

Sieve the flour and salt.

Put the fat and liquid into a pan, bring to the boil and pour into the dry ingredients.

Mix to a dough, using a wooden spoon or the hands, then place on a floured board. Knead until paste is smooth.

Cut off a quarter of the paste and keep it warm, covered with a cloth, or it will not be pliable when required.

Mould the remainder of the paste by hand into a round pie-case. Though soft at first, the pastry will stiffen and retain the shape as it cools.

Fill with about 1 lb of savoury filling. Damp inner edge of pastry and put on a lid made from the remaining pastry.

Press edges together tof orm a rim. Cut at 1/2 inch intervals and bend in alternate "tabs". Make hole in centre.

Decorate pie, and pin round it a double band of greaseproof paper, greased inside. Put on greased baking tin.

Brown the pastry in a moderately hot oven, then cook for the time given. When the pie is cold, fill up with a stock which will form a jelly.