Foods of England

Churdle

Pies and Pastries
Surrey, Sussex

A type of pasty made by piling a circle of paste with a chopped mixture of cooked liver, bacon, and herbs (sometimes with apple or mushrooms) topped with cheese and breadcrumbs. The edges pulled up and pinched together in the centre, egg-washed and baked.

The origin of the name is obscure, it may be connected with the old usage of 'churd' to mean 'to turn over' (as in 'churn' or 'churned'). There are recent reference to the dish being 17th Century and possibly that it is associated with Chichester, but we can't find any definitive sorces.

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Churdle

For 4 pies

1 large onion, chopped
1 lb lambs liver, chopped
2 oz bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
salt and pepper
1 oz butter
2 oz breadcrumbs
4 oz cheddar cheese, grated
10 oz rough-puff pastry
egg to wash

Roll the pastry into four 7-inch circles. Soften the chopped onion in the butter, add the bacon and liver and cook until slightly browned. Add the apple, herbs and seasoning and continue to cook until heated through. Divide the part-cooked mixture into piles in the centre of each pastry disk and top with a sprinkle of grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Wash the edges with egg and gather the pastry around to form a purse shape, the edges squeezed together at the top. Brush with egg and bake 20 minutes or until golden.

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