Turkey, Ham & Pork Sausage Pie

This Turkey, Ham & Pork Sausage Pie is another solution for holiday leftovers. At our house, even a small turkey or ham often produces too much delicious meat which, while enjoyed the first time served, is hard to serve for more than one additional meal. Turkey and ham sandwiches, assorted creamy casseroles and soups are the usual options which also get boring quickly. And stashing meat remnants in the freezer for later use merely delays discarding. But with a few additional ingredients and a little effort, these meats can be transformed into a savory and appealing presentation, distinct from their leftover origin, suitable for another holiday lunch or appetizer.

Several years ago on a business trip to London, following up on the old adage “you are what you eat,” I sought out a local market to see what nourishes the natives. After many hours in meetings, I was glad to escape to the Borough Market near London Bridge. There, I discovered stalls selling English savory pies, which reminded me of French country terrines or pâtés en croute but definitely with non-French ingredients. On display was an impressive array of deep, golden-crusted pies made from a surprising array of ingredients including wild boar, pork and pork sausage, stilton and other cheeses, turkey, ham, cranberries and raisins, walnuts and pistachios chicken and pork, apricots, bacon, eggs and even black pudding and non-British “chilli.” The aroma was irresistible and the samples were delicious, but I was particularly taken by the Turkey, Ham & Pork Sausage Pie and immediately saw its utility for holiday leftovers.

In hunting for recipes that would replicate that delicious pie I savored at Borough Market, I learned a few facts about the English pie tradition. Savory pies have been a culinary staple in England for centuries. British food historians say the first recorded recipe for a pork pie appeared in a cookbook written for the chefs of King Richard II in the late 14th century.

The original meat pie was probably developed as a means of preserving meat for another meal, not for long-term storage like salting, curing and air drying. Savory pies, primarily meat and cheese, were simple and economical, using less flour and quicker to prepare than bread, and more filling.

In medieval England, savory pies were eaten by all social classes. Elaborately molded, decorated and glazed pork pies, filled with prime cuts of meat such as venison, were served to the lord of the manor. Lower classes ate humble pies, filled with less desirable cuts such as deer offal and vegetables.

A unique characteristic of the English meat pie, and the key to its historical endurance, is the hot water pastry which differs from the puff pastry used in French terrines. This hot water pastry is made by boiling lard and salt in a small amount of water before adding to a bowl of flour. This method results a durable, moldable container which envelopes a mixture of cured or fresh meat, so it stays fresher longer which was especially important in pre-refrigeration days.

Since the meat filling shrinks as it bakes, following a pre-refrigeration tradition, English cooks pour hot aspic or bone broth jelly into the baked pie to fill gaps between the crust and the meat which forces out air inside, and also allegedly sterilizes the contents. It also makes the pie more solid and less prone to crumbling when cut.

Although savory pies were originally flavored only with salt and pepper, the best pork pies now contain a cook’s choice of ingredients and are flavored with herbs and spices. Plain pork pies made only from spiced forcemeat are available at most pubs and markets and are eaten as lunch or easy tea with a salad. Fancy pies, layered with quality meats, forcemeat and other embellishments are served as a first course on special occasions such as Christmas, Boxing Day and Easter.

I was unable to find a recipe that captured all elements of the Turkey, Ham & Pork Sausage Pie I tasted at London’s Borough Market. So, I combined several recipes into one, producing the result and flavor I wanted. Essentially this Turkey, Ham & Pork Sausage Pie is a meatloaf, albeit with fancier ingredients, in a pastry crust. But this pie doesn’t taste like an ordinary meatloaf! Pork sausage and ground pork, spiced with garlic, sage, thyme and fennel, glistening with sweet red cranberries and creamy vibrant green pistachios, bind the chunks of leftover turkey and ham into zesty and satisfying fare. The crust is firm but tender, having absorbed meat juices while baking. No aspic was needed as the filling did not shrink much. Following English tradition, I served a wedge of this Turkey, Ham & Pork Sausage Pie with pickled red onions and cornichons, a good chutney and coarse mustard. It makes a lovely lunch with a lightly dressed arugula salad.

This recipe welcomes substitutions. Although the original was round, this Turkey, Ham & Pork Sausage Pie can be baked in a variety of shapes and even as individual pies, adjusting baking temperature as needed. It can be readily adapted to all turkey or all ham leftovers, slices rather than chunks, layered with the pork forcemeat. The cranberries and pistachios can be substituted with raisins or dried apricots and walnuts. Hard boiled eggs can be inserted between layers of meat for a festive surprise. No doubt each variation will produce a delicious result.

Turkey, Ham and Pork Sausage Pie

For the pastry:
3.5 ounces (100g lard), plus extra for greasing
3 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons (450g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
4 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons salt
6 ounces (150ml) water
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream

For the filling:
24 ounces (680g) fresh, bulk pork sausage
8 ounces (227g) ground pork, lean
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon dried sage, crumbled
1½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried fennel, crushed
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces (140g) cooked ham, cut in cubes
5 ounces (140g) cooked turkey, cut in cubes
⅓ cup (50g) pistachio
⅓ cup (40g) dried cranberries
1 large egg white, beaten

For aspic (optional):
1 10 ounce can beef consommé
2½ teaspoons powdered gelatine

For the filling: Combine pork sausage, ground pork, garlic, sage, thyme, fennel, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add turkey, ham, pistachios and cranberries. Then add egg white and mix thoroughly. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes, while preparing pastry. (Since the pie will be eaten cold, it should be seasoned slightly more than usual as chilling will dull the flavor. The filling can be tested for seasoning by making and frying a small burger out of the mix, cooling it in the refrigerator and adjusting the seasoning, if needed. A slightly over-seasoned filling is perfect.)

For the pastry: In large bowl, combine flour and salt. Place lard and milk into a pan with water and heat until the lard has completely melted. Make a well in the flour and pour the water-lard mixture into the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it comes together. Form into a ball. Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep warm. (Dough becomes less flexible when chilled.)

Preheat oven to 400°F(200°C).

Grease bottom and sides of an 8 inch (20cm) diameter loose-bottomed baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom. Roll out ⅔ of the dough to a uniform thickness of ¼ inch (0.6cm). Measure the bottom of the pan and two sides and cut out a circle 1 inch (2.54cm) wider than combined diameter of the pan and the height of two sides. Ease dough into the pan. (It is inevitable for several folds to develop along the sides when placing dough in a round pan. These thick folds can easily be worked up and out by gently smoothing until a consistent thickness is achieved. Work carefully to avoid making holes in the pastry as a leakproof case is needed.) The dough sides should hang over the rim by 1 inch (2.54cm).

From the remaining ⅓ of dough, cut a dough round for the lid about 1 inch (2.54cm) in circumference wider than diameter of the pan. Scoop the meat mixture into the pan, pressing firmly to eliminate gaps. Cover with dough lid, pinching and sealing tightly along the edge where side and top dough meats. Fold under end of dough along edge of the pan and crimp decoratively. Cut one vent hole in lid (depending on shape of pie more vent holes may be needed) and, if desired, decorate with cut outs from remaining dough.

Mix beaten egg with cream and thinly glaze pie top with pastry brush. Repeat this several times during baking for extra shine.

Bake on a sheet pan in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 350°F(180°C) and continue baking for another 1½ hours, or until internal temperature of the pie reaches at least 167°F(75°C). Check regularly during baking and, if necessary, cover top of pie with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. (The finished pie should be golden brown.)

Remove pie from oven and cool in pan to room temperature. Carefully remove pan; then refrigerate pie. (The pastry will stiffen during cooling.)

For the aspic (optional): I elected not to use aspic in my version of this recipe because the meat filling did not shrink much during baking. But if the meat filling shrank in baking and you decide to fill the pie with aspic, place consommé in saucepan, reserving ½ cup for softening the gelatine. Sprinkle gelatine on the reserved consommé and let stand for a few minutes until gelatine absorbs the liquid. Over medium heat, warm the consommé until hot, but not simmering. Stir in softened gelatine until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then transfer consommé to a squeeze bottle. Place pie on sheet pan and carefully pour aspic into the vent hole(s) until it reaches the top. Refrigerate pie until aspic has set, then repeat adding aspic twice more until full. Place in refrigerator overnight to set.