PORK AND CRANBERRY RECIPES

Steps:

• Place pork in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, orange juice, sugars, mustard and cloves; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender., Remove pork and keep warm. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into cranberry mixture. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. Serve with pork.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
  2. Peel and finely slice the onions, then place in a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and cook gently over a medium heat for 30 minutes, or until dark, sweet and sticky.
  3. Pick and finely chop the sage leaves, then roughly chop the bacon and add both to the pan after 10 minutes. Once cooked, add the onion mixture to a large bowl and leave to cool.
  4. Shred the turkey and add to the bowl, then finely grate over half the nutmeg. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix together well.
  5. To make the pastry, place the flour into a large bowl. Put the dripping and 300ml of water in a small pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until melted. Bring to the boil, then stir straight into the flour. Leave until warm and pliable, but cool enough to handle.
  6. Knead the pastry until smooth, then cut off a quarter, wrap it in clingfilm and reserve for the top of your pie.
  7. Working quickly, while the dough is still pliable, press it evenly over the base and up the sides of a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin, until it’s about 1cm thick, patching up any holes as you go – you may not need all of the pastry.
  8. Place the tin on a baking tray and fill the pastry case with the cooled filling, then roll out the reserved pastry and place it on top, pinching the edges to seal and create a crust. Gently press down the top of the pie to create a slight indent to hold the cranberry topping.
  9. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, carefully pierce a hole in the centre of the pie lid to allow the steam to escape, then bake the pie for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3 and cook for a further 2 hours 30 minutes.
  10. Carefully remove the pie from the oven, brush the top with beaten egg and pop it back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until perfectly golden, then leave the pie to cool completely.
  11. To make the gravy, soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, then remove and squeeze out the excess water. In a pan, bring the stock almost to the boil, then remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatine. Leave to cool to room temperature.
  12. Using a small funnel, pour the gravy into the pie through the hole in the top, adding just a little at a time and allowing each addition to sink in before adding the next.
  13. To make the cranberry topping, place all the cranberries in a pan. Using a speed-peeler, strip in the orange zest, then squeeze in the all juice. Add the remaining topping ingredients, except for the sage, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened, stirring regularly.
  14. Taste and add a little extra sugar, if needed, then remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and orange peel. Leave to cool and thicken for 45 minutes, then spoon it on top of the pie. Place in the fridge overnight to set.
  15. Just before serving, pick the sage leaves, and fry over a medium-high heat until crispy, then scatter over the pie.