What to make with hot water crust pastry

Hot water crust pastry has its very particular niche. It is the pastry to choose for the raised pie, the pork pie, the terrine en croute, in other words the traditional pie that goes out on a picnic, or graces the dining table during game season. The historic recipes, and glorious patterns that can be moulded into hot water crust, are having a major London revival, and handling hot water crust can be elevated to something of an art. But the dough itself it actually forgiving, as long as worked when still warm. When it cools it is no longer workable, but it will admirably hold its shape.