
A show-stopping savory centerpiece featuring a golden, mustard-infused pastry packed with seasoned sausage meat, smoky bacon, and perfectly placed boiled eggs. This impressive make-ahead pie is the ultimate addition to any picnic, party, or holiday spread.
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.
Brush the pastry edges with some of the remaining beaten egg. Roll out the rest of the pastry to create a lid and place it over the pie. Press the edges firmly to seal, trim the excess, and crimp the border. Cut a small steam hole in the center and decorate with pastry leaves made from offcuts if desired. Brush the top with egg wash and bake on the hot tray for 50 minutes. Check the internal temperature with a probe; it should reach 70°C. Apply a final coat of egg wash and bake for another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown. Allow the pie to cool completely in the tin before removing and serving with salad and piccalilli.
For the best results, make this pie a day in advance to allow the flavors to develop and the structure to set firmly for perfect slicing. Trimming the sides of the boiled eggs is a professional trick that prevents 'gaps' in the pie and ensures a beautiful cross-section. If you don't have lard, you can substitute it with more butter, though the lard provides a traditional, shorter crumb.




