Miniature Prune Spicy Meat Pies

Miniature Prune Spicy Meat Pies

Comments: An appealing hors-d'oeuvre, also perfect on a buffet table.
Servings: 6
Ingredients Preparation

1 tablespoon [15 g] butter
1 tablespoon [8.75 g] flour
1 1/2 pounds [680 g] pastry dough
1/2 cup [125 mL] fine breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon [5 mL] thyme
1/4 teaspoon [1 mL] nutmeg
1 teaspoon [5 mL] chile flakes
1 egg
1/4 cup [60 mL] water
6 stoned prune halves, to decorate

Filling

3 tablespoons [45 g] butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound [454 g] ground pork
1/4 cup [60 mL] Port wine
2 cups [500 mL] beef broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 stoned prunes, chopped

Gravy

2 tablespoons [30 mL] cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] cumin
1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] pepper
1 cup [250 mL] beef broth
Salt, to taste



For the filling, melt butter into a deep frypan.
Brown together chopped onion and garlic over medium heat for 4 minutes.
Add and brown ground pork stirring until crumbly; salt and pepper mixture.
Pour in Port wine and bring to a boil.; leave to evaporate.
Pour in beef broth; bring back to a boil.
Add chopped prunes, lower heat and leave to simmer for 25 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F [200°C].
Butter and flour 12 individual tart plates.
Roll pastry dough; cut in 24 rounds, of the side of tart plates.
Line tart plates with half of dough rounds.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon reserving cooking juices, transfer meat mixture into a large bowl.
Add fine breadcrumbs to cooking juices along with thyme, nutmeg and chile flakes; mix.
Remove tart plates from refrigerator.
Beat egg beating in water; brush the outside of pie shells with some of the mixture.
Top with remaining dough rounds sealing dough all around each pie plate to seal in the filling.
Brush dough with remaining beaten egg mixture.
Cut a slit in the middle of each pie; insert a prune half into each slit.
Transfer pies onto a baking sheet.
Bake pies into preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, until slightly golden.
Meanwhile, for the gravy, strain reserved meat mixture cooking juices into a casserole.
Whip in cornstarch, cumin and pepper.
Slowly pour in beef broth; cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
Remove meat pies from oven; unmold and serve, over a little gravy.