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Veal Pies

1 pound veal with bones attached

Veal Stock

Bones from the veal

1 bay leaf

½ carrot

½ celery rib

¼ onion

½ teaspoon salt

Several sprigs parsley

Several sprigs dill

Veal Filling

Veal, detached from the bones, trimmed, and finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

½ teaspoon ground thyme

¼ onion, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Hot-Water Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup water

½ cup (8 tablespoons) vegetable shortening

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for brushing the tops of the pies

Aspic

1 cup veal stock

1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin

For the stock, put the bones in a small saucepan and cover with water. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add the carrot, celery, onion, salt, parsley, and dill, and simmer another ½ hour. Cool to room temperature. Use a fat separator or chill the stock to remove the fat layer. Measure out 1 cup stock and set aside.

For the filling, combine the veal, dill, thyme, onion, and black pepper in a mixing bowl.

For the dough, whisk the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Bring the water and vegetable shortening to a boil in a small sauce-pan. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the water-shortening mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon, then knead for a few seconds until a cohesive dough forms.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. To assemble the pies, roll out ¾ of the dough 1/8-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut out ten circles of dough. (The dough can be briefly kneaded and rerolled to cut more circles.) Fit the dough circles into the cups of a muffin pan. Divide the filling among the pies. Roll out the remaining dough ¼-inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out ten circles of dough. Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut out holes in the centers. Brush the rims of the pies with water and attach the rings of dough to the tops of the pies, pressing with your fingers to seal. Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Fill any empty muffin cups halfway with water before putting the pan in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until pies are golden brown.

While the pies are baking, make the aspic. Boil the reserved cup of veal stock and whisk in the gelatin until dissolved. Reheat if necessary when the pies are finished baking. Using a funnel, slowly pour the stock into the holes in the pie crusts while the pies are still hot. You should use most of the stock. Cool the pies to room temperature and refrigerate until cold. Serve chilled.

Makes 10 pies

To save the time and tedium of making a veal stock from scratch, you can substitute 1 cup canned beef broth.

Another raised pie, this one hails from Melton Mowbray in Leicester (pronounced “lester”) in central England. Pickled walnuts were standard in older recipes but are no longer used in modern recipes.

Melton Mowbray Pork Pies

Pork Stock

3 pounds pork bones

3 cups water

1 teaspoon fresh sage

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 onion, quartered

Hot-Water Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 pinches kosher salt

¼ cup (4 tablespoons) lard or vegetable shortening

¼ cup whole milk

¼ cup water Flour for dusting

Pork Filling

2 pounds pork shoulder, 2/3 lean, 1/3 fat

6 slices bacon, diced

1 teaspoon fresh sage, or ½ teaspoon dried sage

1 anchovy fillet, minced, or 1 teaspoon oil from container of anchovy fillets

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for brushing the tops of the pies

1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin

English mustard, for serving

To make the stock, combine all the stock ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 1 hour. Strain the solids and return the liquid to the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the total volume to 1¼ cups. Set aside to cool.

To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Place the lard or vegetable shortening in a saucepan along with the milk