Duck and Pork Pie
A quick and easy recipe to make in advance using ingredients that accompany each other. Use ready-made pastry if you are short of time or make your own.
Duck and Pork Pie
A quick and easy recipe to make in advance using ingredients that accompany each other. Use ready-made pastry if you are short of time or make your own.
- Serves: 10
- Prepare: 30 Minutes
- Cook: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Difficulty: medium
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS ORGANIC DUCK?
By working with a poultry specialist who has decades of experience running a Soil Association-certified farm, we know that our duck has been reared in a natural, high-welfare system. These traditional birds produce meat that is unforgettable from first taste – juicy, rich and with just the right amount of sweet fat.
Ingredients
We have opted for a hot water pastry but if you are short on time ready-made shortcrust pastry will work well also.
For The Hot Water Crust Pastry
- 450g plain flour
- 100g strong white bread flour
- 75g cold, unsalted butter, cut into roughly 1cm/½in dice
- ½ tsp salt
- 100g lard, plus extra for greasing
- 1 free-range egg yolk, beaten, to glaze
For The Filling
- 4x organic duck breasts, diced
- 500g organic pork mince
- 200g organic smoked back bacon, chopped
- 200ml white wine
- 1x leeks sliced
- 2x garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp sage leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp thyme, chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper for seasoning
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C Fan/Gas 6. Grease a 20cm/8in spring-form cake tin, about 7cm/2¾in deep, with lard
- First make the filling. In a large bowl, mix the sliced leek and garlic. Add the diced organic duck breast, organic pork mince, diced organic smoke back bacon, white wine and herbs. Season with salt and a little fresh ground black pepper
- Using clean hands, mix all the ingredients thoroughly together. Put in the fridge while you prepare the pastry
- For the hot water crust pastry, combine the flours in a bowl, add the butter and rub in lightly with your fingertips
- Heat 200ml/7fl oz of water, the salt and lard in a saucepan until just boiling. Pour the mixture onto the flour and mix together with a spoon. Once cool enough to handle, tip onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth dough
- Work as quickly as you can now (as the pastry will become more crumbly as it cools). Cut off two-thirds of the pastry, roll it out and use to line the prepared tin, leaving any excess hanging over the side. Check there are no cracks or holes in the pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry for the lid and leave to one side
- Spoon the filling into the pastry-lined tin. Press it down and level the surface
- Brush the pastry edge with beaten egg yolk and place the pastry lid on top. Crimp the edges to seal and trim off the excess pastry neatly. Brush the top with more egg yolk. Make a hole in the middle of the lid for steam
- Stand the tin on a baking tray and bake the pie for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 160˚C/140˚C Fan/Gas 3 and bake for a further 1¾ hours
- Leave the pie to cool completely in the tin before removing. Slice on a plate to catch any juices. Serve at room temperature
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS ORGANIC DUCK?
By working with a poultry specialist who has decades of experience running a Soil Association-certified farm, we know that our duck has been reared in a natural, high-welfare system. These traditional birds produce meat that is unforgettable from first taste – juicy, rich and with just the right amount of sweet fat.
Frequently asked questions
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Duck is a healthy type of meat filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Its’ skin is very fatty but can removed, leaving a cut of meat that is comparable in fat and calories to a skinless chicken or turkey breast.
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Both duck and chicken are healthy choices of poultry. Duck is a lean meat, comparable in fat and calories to a skinless chicken or turkey breast. It is an excellent source of selenium and zinc, both of which encourage good cellular metabolism. Since duck is a red meat, it contains higher amounts of iron than other poultry. The fat content of duck meat is mostly healthy unsaturated fat and is an excellent source of protein.
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Duck meat is tender, juicy, a little meaty, with a high level of fat. Duck meat has a meatier taste than chicken with a unique sweet and savoury flavour also. In comparison to turkey and chicken, duck does not have a lot of meat, yet retains a high level of nutrient. With its thick skin, this meat becomes quite crispy when cooked. It is the perfect bird meat for roasting because of its texture.
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For any meat or poultry to be labelled organic is must have been reared in accordance with set and governed organic welfare standards. High standards of animal husbandry and welfare are critical to us at The Organic Butchery. We believe that animals should live their lives in an environment that offers them the opportunity to follow their natural instincts. For ducks, that means growing in a free-range, sustainable system with access to water for swimming and grass for grazing. An active lifestyle and natural diet ensure the ducks we source are healthy, with strong immune systems. And that translates directly into high-welfare meat that tastes delicious.