Somerset pie is a flavourful dish made with rabbit or pork that’s slowly braised with vegetables in a tangy cider-based stock.
Where I live in central Portugal, dry cider can be hard to find, but it’s easy to work around this. A good substitute is a mix of equal parts dry white wine and unsweetened apple juice, or even adding half a small peeled, diced apple for a gentle sweetness.
Served with alongside buttered new potatoes and broad beans with bacon it makes a hearty and deeply satisfying meal.
SOMERSET PIE
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
450 g rabbit or pork meat, cubed
100 g rindless streaky bacon, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1-2 sticks celery, sliced
1/2 small red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 chicken stock cube
300 ml dry cider
4 oz (100g) button mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
1 level tbsp cornflour
1 lb (450g) puff pastry
milk or beaten egg to glaze
METHOD:
Place the rabbit or pork, bacon, carrot, onion, celery, red pepper, stock cube and cider in a saucepan.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about an hour, until the meat and vegetables are tender. Add the mushrooms and season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/GMk 6.
Blend the cornflour with a little cold water or cider and stir into the pan. Bring back to the boil, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Roll out the ⅔ rds of the pastry and use to line a shallow, 23 cm pie dish. Spoon in the filling and wet the edges of the pastry with a little water.
Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the pie, pressing the edges well together. Make a hole in the top.
Brush with beaten egg or milk to glaze and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until the pastry is risen and golden brown.
