Bedfordshire Clanger

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for greasing
• ¾ lb pork sausage meat (bulk, no casing)
• 1 whole Bramley or other firm cooking apple, medium
• 1 whole onion, small yellow
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs, panko
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 0.5 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Add 0.5 cup of cold unsalted butter cut into 0.5-inch cubes directly to the flour mixture.

2. 2

   Using your fingertips, rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible — this creates the flaky texture. The process should take about 2-3 minutes.

3. 3

   Pour in 0.75 cup of whole milk and gently fold with a spatula until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overwork it — you want a tender pastry, not a tough one. If the dough feels too dry, add 1 tablespoon more milk.

4. 4

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together gently with your hands into a rough ball. Divide into 4 equal portions, cover with a damp towel, and set aside while you prepare the filling.

5. 5

   Peel one medium Bramley or other firm cooking apple, cut it in half lengthwise, and use a small spoon or melon baller to scoop out the core and seeds. Finely dice the apple into 0.25-inch pieces — you should get about 0.75 cup. Peel and finely mince one small yellow onion.

6. 6

   In a medium bowl, combine 0.75 lb of pork sausage meat, the diced apple, minced onion, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage, 0.25 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 0.5 teaspoon of fine sea salt, and 0.25 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until the ingredients are evenly distributed — do not overwork, or the sausage will become dense.

7. 7

   Set up a large pot with a steamer rack or trivet at the bottom, and add enough water so it reaches just below the rack — about 2 inches. Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium heat.

8. 8

   Working with one dough portion at a time, flatten it on a lightly floured surface into a 4-inch square about 0.25 inch thick. Place about 3 tablespoons of the sausage filling in the center, then fold the corners and edges up and over to enclose the filling completely, pinching the seams together to seal — the clanger should be roughly oval or rectangular. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

9. 9

   Cut four 12-inch squares of parchment paper and lightly brush or rub each with 0.25 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Place one assembled clanger seam-side down in the center of each square, then fold the parchment loosely around it, creasing the folds so they form a sealed but not airtight parcel — the pastry needs to breathe as it steams.

10. 10

    Carefully place the parchment parcels seam-side up on the steamer rack. Cover the pot with a lid and steam over medium heat for 25-30 minutes. You'll hear steady steam escaping; if it stops, add a little more hot water to the pot. The clanger is done when a skewer inserted through the parchment into the filling feels tender when withdrawn.

11. 11

    Carefully remove the parcels from the steamer using tongs and let them rest for 2 minutes. Unwrap the parchment — be careful of the rising steam — and transfer to warm plates. Serve hot, drizzled with any cooking liquid from the parchment if desired.

Tools you’ll need

• large mixing bowl
• whisk
• spatula
• small spoon or melon baller
• medium bowl
• large pot
• steamer rack or trivet
• parchment paper
• knife and cutting board
• tongs
• skewer or thin knife

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