Ultimate Layered Picnic Pork Pie with Eggs

To make the pastry, combine the flour and mustard powder in a large bowl with a generous pinch of salt. Rub in the cold butter and lard using your fingertips until the texture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in half of the beaten egg and 75ml of ice-cold water. Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a rough dough, then knead briefly for about a minute until smooth. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Prepare the filling by boiling a pan of salted water. Add 8 eggs and cook for exactly 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Immediately transfer them to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. Once cold, peel the eggs and carefully trim a small amount of the white from two opposite sides of each egg; this ensures that every slice of the finished pie contains a section of yolk. In a separate bowl, combine the sausage meat, chopped bacon, thyme, pickled onions, and grated garlic. Mix thoroughly by hand and season well.

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6) and place a heavy baking tray inside to heat up. Roll out two-thirds of the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin. Use this to line a 20cm loose-bottomed or springform tin, ensuring the pastry is pressed into the corners with some overhang. Scatter half of the dry stuffing mix over the base, then pack in one-third of the sausage mixture. Arrange the eggs in a circle on top so the trimmed sides are touching. Fill the gaps and cover the eggs with the remaining sausage meat, then finish with a final layer of stuffing mix.