Thomas Straker's Pork & Mustard Pie

2kg Daylesford Organic pork shoulder
1 leek, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks
1 carrot, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
Small bunch of rosemary
1⁄2 head of garlic
150ml white wine
400ml chicken stock
100ml apple juice
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
For the pastry:
480g plain flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
230g water
115g unsalted butter or beef suet
1 egg, beaten
For the gravy:
1kg chopped pork leg
1 onion, cut into chunks
1 leek, cut into chunks
1 carrot, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
1⁄2 head of garlic
Small bunch of rosemary
Small bunch of thyme
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
150ml white wine
1 litre chicken stock
For the mash:
800g maris piper potatoes

250g unsalted butter, cubed
50ml whole milk

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pat the pork shoulder dry then place in a roasting tin. Drizzle generously with oil, then use your hands to rub the oil into the meat to ensure it is coated on all sides.

Season generously with salt, turning the pork as you do this to season it all over. Transfer the pork to the oven to roast for an initial 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

After this time, remove from the oven and carefully lift the meat from the roasting tin. Add the chopped vegetables and garlic to the tin, then place the pork joints on top, nestling into the vegetables. Return to the oven for an hour.

In the meantime, make the pastry. Add the butter and water to a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the fat has melted. Put the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine, then make a well in the centre. Pour the liquid into the bowl and stir with a spoon to form a dough. When cool enough to touch, use your hands to knead gently. Wrap in clingfilm and transfer to the fridge until ready to use.

Remove the pork from the oven and pour in the chicken stock, wine and apple juice, adding the fennel seeds and peppercorns too. Cover with kitchen foil and seal tightly around the edges, then return to the oven to braise for 2 hours.

Next, spread the potatoes over a baking tray and cook in the oven for 1 hour. While they are roasting, get started on the pork gravy. Set a medium-sized frying pan over a medium-high heat and pour in a good glug of oil. Once hot, add the chopped pork leg and fry until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan, then deglaze with the sherry vinegar. Add the chopped vegetables to the frying pan and brown for a couple of minutes, then tip those into the saucepan with the pork. Add the rosemary and thyme, then pour in the wine. Bubble away until reduced by half, then pour over the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave to cook gently for an hour, skimming away any scum from the top.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half. Scoop out the flesh and pass through a sieve. Whilst still warm, transfer to a medium saucepan and add in the cubed butter and milk.

Stir over a gentle heat to combine - if the butter is spilling out, add a little more milk. Remove from the heat and leave until ready to serve - this can be reheated later. Once the gravy has been cooking for an hour, strain it through a sieve and return the liquid to the heat to reduce again until thickened to your desired sauce consistency. Remove the meat from the oven and carefully lift out the pork from the tin. Strain off the liquid from the roasting tin - we’re going to use this in the pie filling. Add the butter to a saucepan and set over a low-medium heat. Once melted, tip in the flour and mix to combine. Cook out for a minute until lightly golden, then pour in the reserved liquor from the roasting tin. Whisk together until smooth then leave to simmer until reduced to a thick sauce for combining with the pork.

While the sauce thickens, use two forks to shred the pork meat. Once the sauce has reduced, pour into the shredded pork, adding the mustard at this point too, and mix well to coat. Season generously with black pepper and then set aside to cool. 

Get your pastry out of the fridge and onto a lightly floured surface. Cut away 1⁄3 of the dough for the pastry top, then roll out the remaining amount into a 13-inch disc about the thickness of a pound coin. Carefully lift this into your pie dish and press it well against the base and sides. Use a knife to cut off any overhanging pastry, then spoon in the cooled filling. Roll the reserved pastry into a disc big enough to cover the pie, then gently place on top to encase the filling. Use a fork to seal the edges, then use a small, sharp knife to make a small hole in the centre of the pie to allow steam to be released. Brush well with the beaten egg then place on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 50 minutes - 1 hour.

Reheat the gravy and mashed potato to serve.