I was just re-reading
This thread When I saw I had promised to put up how I form a raised pie. Now I did actually take the pictures when I said I would but I totally forgot to post them!
So to make a traditional raised pie you need to make
hot water crust pastry. the recipe I use is thus..
550g flour
100g lard
100g butter
200ml
water
1 egg
tsp salt
Boil the water salt and fats (you can use any solid at room temperature fat you like) until the fat has melted. shoot in the flour and mix well, check the temperature isn't high
enough to cook the egg and then mix that in as well, you can leave the egg out if you like
put this into a warm bowl and keep it warm, it becomes impossible to work if it gets cold.
You can fill the pie with any meat you like and nearly any seasoning, the only thing to watch for is how wet the filling is, you don't want to add a lot of wet fruit or vegetables or you will get a soggy bottom, so if you want
mushrooms or something in the pie pre cook them to dry them out a bit.
Take a ball of pastry and make a small dip in the top
Using your thumb and fingers pull the sides up and flatten out the base, be sure to thin out the corners as well, leave a lip around the top where you can attach the lid.
Fill with your filling pressing it well into the corners, The most basic filling is just chopped raw meat seasoned with salt and pepper. you can cup the entire filled pie and squidge it back into shape if it's sagged a bit, moisten the little lip you left and put the lid on pressing/crimping it well together, then add a hole in the lid for the steam to escape and so you can add any stock later if you so wish.
Bake at around 150C for anywhere between 25minutes for small pies like the following picture and 2 hours for large pies like the last picture (which is made in a form not free standing)
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