Mutton pies

Mutton pies are a traditional Scottish food. Dunedin, where I live, was settled by the Scots back in the 1850s and they brought many of their traditions with them, including the mutton pie. They are decreasingly available these days, but when I moved here 25 years ago from the North Island every corner shop had mutton pies in the warmer along with the mince and steak pies I was more used to. That sounds as though I lived on pies! I assure you I didn't. They're jolly good to munch on on your way home from the pub though.

A mutton pie is made with hot water pastry the same way a pork pie is, but they're small and eaten hot. I thought they might be a good way to try out completely hand formed pastry cases. And I can freeze them, no need to get grossly fat by eating them all at once.

I bought a bit of hogget leg from the supermarket:

Hogget is sheep that's older than one year and younger than two. It's tastier and cheaper than lamb, not as fatty as mutton.

I cut off about half of the meat …

… and put it through the mincer …

… before adding salt and quite a lot of pepper …

… and mixing it up thoroughly. I fried of a little bit so I could taste the seasoning and ended up adding more salt and quite a lot more pepper. Mutton pies are peppery.

I made a batch of hot water pastry just as I did for my pork pie last week, saved a quarter for the pie tops, and divided the rest into eight.

Then I made pie shells. It was just like making clay bowls when I was small! Not too difficult at all.

I made eight fairly quickly …

… divided the meat mixture between them …

… then squooshed it out flat …

… before dividing the lip pastry in eight and making eight wee pastry lids …

… which I pinched onto the pies. I cut wee holes in each lid then the pies went in the oven …

… at ~170°C for a bit less than an hour:

I ate one and packaged the rest to freeze. It was OK. Not great, but OK. I have the flavour right, the pastry is right, but the meat was a bit drier than it should be. I think I need to use a cheaper, more gelatinous, cut of meat. Shoulder might have been better, and I'll mix some water into the meat next time too.