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English Pizza Rustica is made up of layers of classic British meats and cheeses all baked inside a flaky pastry. It's deeply savoury. Eveyr bite is a little bit different, but they're all awesome.
Somehow Instagram seems to know that I'm super stressed out because it's been showing me a bunch of ads for meditation apps. Do any of you use these? Do you find them helpful? Do they actually work? I admit, I'm intrigued, but I also know I would absolutely fail.
I am an accomplishment junkie. Maybe it's an oldest child thing. I don't know. Every moment I spend not ticking something off a to do list, I feel absolutely terrible about myself. I've got to be consuming information or producing work of some type to keep the guilt at bay. And quiet my mind? Please, you've got to be kidding. I cannot do that. Like at all. So, if I downloaded one of these apps, I know "meditate" would just become another item on my to do list. I'd only do it so I could tick it off the list. What's wrong with me?
What makes English Pizza Rustica awesome?
Lucky for you, one of my many lists is new recipes to test, and this English Pizza Rustica was an especially delicious accomplishment. I've already shared the Italian version, and this one is at least as good, if not better. It's got ground pork, bacon, and cheddar cheese all wrapped in a flaky, savoury crust that just so right.
My favorite thing about English Pizza Rustica is that it's possibly better on the second day than it is fresh out of the oven. Not only does your pie hold its shape better, the flavors seem to harmonize better as time goes on. I actually look forward to leftovers. It's a real thing.
I hope you add English Pizza Rustica to your to do list. And clear some space in your busy mind to really enjoy it. It's awesome.
PrintEnglish Pizza Rustica
English Pizza Rustica is a glorious savoury pie with all your favorite English flavors.
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 55
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 9-inch pie 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1-⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- For the filling
- 500 grams minced pork
- 7 ounces bacon
- About a tablespoon of reserved bacon fat, optional
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cottage cheese
- 2 green onions, chopped with scissors
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- Black pepper
- About 1 tablespoon dried bread crumbs
- For the glaze
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the crust
- Put the flour and butter together in a dish and stash it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Stir together the egg yolks, water, and salt, and put that in the fridge as well.
- Once everything is well chilled, place your butter and flour as well as the sugar into a food processor and pulse until you've got a mixture that looks like wet sand. Add the wet ingredients and process until the dough starts to come together but is still a bit loose. I sometimes have to add a bit of extra water, but just add a teaspoon at a time.
- Tip the mixture out onto a clean counter and press it together with your hands. Divide the dough 60/40 into two discs (you'll need more dough for the bottom than the top), wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge while you get on with your filling.
For the filling
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C), and if you have a baking sheet that your 8-inch springform pan can rest comfortably on, pop that in the oven to heat up as well. If you don't have one, it's not the end of the world, your bottom crust will just be a little more wet.
- Add your bacon to your food processor and pulse to grind up your bacon.
- Heat your bacon grease in a skillet and add your minced pork and chopped up bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until your meat is cooked through, then transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- To your pork and bacon, add your remaining filling ingredients except for the bread crumbs. Gently mix it all together.
- Roll out your larger disc of dough between two layers of plastic wrap until it's big enough to cover the bottom of your 8-inch springform pan and come up the sides. It's okay if it hangs over a bit. Sprinkle the bottom of your pie with the breadcrumbs. Don't worry about measuring. Just sprinkle until you have a fine layer across the bottom. Pour in your filling and spread it evenly over the crust.
- Roll out your second disc between layers of plastic wrap until it is big enough to cover the top of your pie. Place it on top of your pie, then fold over any overhanging dough to seal in your filling. Press the edges down with a fork, and poke several holes in the top of your pie with your fork for ventilation.
- In a small dish, whisk together your glaze ingredients and use a pastry brush to brush it evenly over the top of your pie. This will give it a lovely brown shiny top.
- Place your pie into the oven, on the hot baking sheet if you have it. Bake for 10 minutes at this temperature, and then lower the heat to 350F (175C) and bake for another 45 minutes.
- Allow your pie to cool for at least 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife before removing the collar and slicing into it.
- Store any leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator. It will be totally awesome the next day.
Keywords: Meat, Cheese, Pastry
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