Delisanté ham hock, apple & cider pie

This latest review comes on the back of renewed interest in the pork pie blog, which is warmly received by this author. It's great to have you reading.

So on to the pie!

With this manufacturer being a novel treat for me, I thought it best to introduce them. From their website: "Delisanté was formed in 2006 with the aim to deliver a new level of delicatessen quality, freshness and taste with a range of handmade, artisan deli products that one would only find in the best restaurants and fine food stores." These lofty aspirations can only serve to introduce the question - does their pie meet the discerning criteria of the Pork me panel?

This large pie is presented for purchase as individual slices or as a complete roundel, we tested three slices at 125g each. Packaging serves to showcase the pie well, simple green and black surrounds framing the pink and pastry slice within. Unfortunately on reviewing the reverse of the packaging, this pie was discovered to be unsuitable for nut allergy sufferers. This instantly discounted one of the panel, the disappointment was palpable. We'd make a point here that we do prefer our pies accessible to all - there's no nuts named as individual ingredients so why is the pie not suitable for nut allergy sufferers?

On removing the packaging, the pie was unveiled to great interest. Cutting proceeded well; while this isn't a firm pork pie by any standards it held together nicely. Some pastry flake-age and a distinct lack of crunch while slicing through the base was noted. These signals point to a rather soggy pastry, that only tasting would be able to confirm.

Indeed the pastry surrounding the pie does come across as very moist, almost quiche-like in texture. The meat is gloriously tender, although not as firmly packed as your average pork pie. If pushed, this reviewer would place it as somewhere between corned beef and pulled pork. These features lead to a delicate, almost airy mouth feel, giving the impression of a far lighter pie than expected. In terms of taste, the filling certainly overshadows the pastry with apple and cinnamon top notes over a slightly smoky ham base. Although there's no salty gelatine present at all, the pie has been well seasoned, perhaps a little too much, so the pie really does punch above its weight on the tongue.

The taste does sour a little with a slight acrid aftertaste - not the usual lard moistness. On consulting the ingredients list, the use of margarine in the pastry could well be the responsible factor - or perhaps the large variety of preservatives used (sodium nitrite, potassium nitrite, sodium metabisulphate and potassium sorbate) could be the cause? Either way - I can't see these ingredients meeting Delisanté's "ultra fresh, great tasting ingredients" mission statement. Quite a paradox.

When asked "What would you prefer - the Tesco pie from last week or this one?" - I hesitated. This pie is certainly a more palatable option, but the novel taste, textures and ingredients make it diffirent proposition to your classic porker. This makes this pie something out of the ordinary, and something we're glad to see broadening the range of pork pies. With it's fruity flavour and light texture we can see this becoming a firm summertime favourite, the perfect snack while supping a glass of cloudy cider at a picnic or garden party.

Flavour balance: Pastry 20%, Pork 50%, Apple (and cider) 20%, Cinnamon 10%, Gelatine 0%

Overall Score: 7.5/10 * (1 point deducted as it is not suitable for nut allergy sufferers)