A thrifty ham hock is the back bone to this recipe and, partnered with cornichons and cream, it equates to pie heaven. The reasurringly creamy filling is encased in fudgy pastry, highly glazed and sprinkled with poppy seeds.
PREP TIME 30 MINUTES + 1 HOUR CHILLING
COOK TIME 4 HOURS
SERVES 6
2 ham hocks
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
220g broad beans, podded
weight
1½ tablespoons wholegrain
mustard
150ml crème fraîche
1 teaspoon crushed coriander
seeds
4 tablespoons finely chopped
cornichons
1 tablespoon plain flour
½ small bunch of flat-leaf parsley,
chopped
300ml cider
1 medium egg, beaten
Salt and
freshly ground black pepper
FOR
THE PASTRY
175g plain flour
Tiny pinch of salt
150g butter, diced
90ml soured cream
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
You will need a 26cm pie
dish
1 Place the ham hocks, bay
leaves and peppercorns in a large pan. Cover generously with cold water and
bring to a steamy simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 hours until tender
and falling apart. Keep your eye on the water levels and top up every so often,
as needed. Once the ham hocks are cooked, remove from the pan. Separate the
meat from the bone – I find it easiest to use your hands. Pull away large
chunks of the meat, roughly chop and set aside. You need about 500g of cooked
ham hock.
2 Bring a second pan of
salted water to the boil. Add the beans and simmer for 5–6 minutes, until just
tender. Drain and set aside.
3 Make the pastry. Put the
flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the butter is fully
incorporated through the flour. Alternatively, put in a large bowl and rub the
butter into the flour using your fingertips. Then add the soured cream and
pulse for 2–3 seconds or stir by hand until just mixed. Shape into a flat disc,
wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
4 Select an enormous bowl and
combine the cooked ham, broad beans, mustard, crème fraîche, coriander seeds, cornichons,
flour and chopped parsley. Pour the cider into a small saucepan over a medium heat
and allow to reduce by half. Cool slightly before adding to the ham hock
mixture. Season to taste, remembering that the ham is salty.
5 Empty the filling into a
pie dish and brush the edge of the dish with a little beaten egg. Roll out the
pastry to the thickness of a pound coin and place over the filling. Crimp the edges
of the pastry to secure it to the edge of the dish, brush the surface with more
beaten egg and chill for a further 30 minutes.
6 Meanwhile
preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4.
7 Remove the pie from the
fridge, glaze again with egg and scatter with poppy seeds. Transfer to the middle
shelf of the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is golden and you
can just see the filling bubbling. Allow to sit for a few minutes before
serving in slices.
TIP You can
also use 200g dried broad beans, soaked overnight. Simply, place the broad
beans in a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Lower
the heat to a simmer and cook for 25–30 minutes or until the broad beans are al
dente.
