Cierva Cake

El pastel de Cierva is a typical recipe from the Murcia region, dated to the late 19th century (legend included) on the coast of the Mar Menor. It is a somewhat peculiar preparation, as it combines the savory flavor of the filling with the sweetness of the dough in a single bite. It's a striking contrast, especially for those who didn't grow up with it and encounter it all of a sudden, since the sweet/savory contrasts are very pronounced.
It's not the kind of recipe with subtle nuances or hints; you either love the pastel de Cierva or it horrifies you. Let's say there's no middle ground. That said, no proper outing is complete without a good slice of pastel de Cierva or a delicious Murcian meat pie.

Like almost all traditional recipes, it is very simple and uses ingredients we always have at home: chicken, eggs, flour, sugar… and also, if you have a Magimix, preparing the pie (dough + filling) is done in no time.

For this pie I chose a Le Creuset ceramic mold because they are ideal for this type of preparation: they bake doughs wonderfully and best of all I don't have to put parchment paper on the base, as nothing ever sticks, which is great for unmolding without problems, for example, this pastel de Cierva.

Le Creuset ceramic mold

Ingredients

• 700 g chicken (thighs, breasts…)
• The water used to cook the chicken
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 250 g pork lard
• 250 g granulated sugar
• 1 egg for the dough
• Zest of one lemon
• 450 g pastry flour
• Salt and pepper
• Beaten egg for brushing

Magimix food processor and Le Creuset ceramic mold

Preparation

1. In a pot with water we cook the chicken (breast or thigh or a combination of both) with salt, and in a small saucepan we will boil the eggs for about 12 minutes. Once everything is cooked, set aside.
2. In the large bowl of the Magimix we put the pork lard together with the sugar and the lemon zest. Press AUTO until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Next, add the egg until incorporated and then add the flour and press PULSE, little by little until the dough comes together.
3. Turn the dough out onto the counter lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and knead with your hands. At this point the dough will probably ask for a bit more flour; add it little by little, just enough so it doesn't stick, trying not to warm it up too much. Make a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let cool for at least 40 minutes.
4. With the chicken warm or cold, put it in the Magimix bowl and chop on AUTO for a few seconds until well ground. Transfer to a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and gradually add some of the cooking water until you obtain a homogeneous mixture that doesn't crumble. Just enough to give moisture to the filling so it doesn't end up dry after baking.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut a little more than half for the base of the mold; the rest will be the top. Roll out on parchment paper with a rolling pin and place it over your mold, fitting it around the perimeter and base by pressing lightly.
6. Add the meat, place the roughly chopped hard-boiled eggs on top and fit the "lid" of dough, pressing the edges against the walls so it is well sealed. Brush with beaten egg, and very important: DO NOT make any holes or vents.
7. With the oven preheated to 180 °C top and bottom heat with the rack in the center position, bake for 1 hour. It should be well browned on the outside.
8. Let cool completely so you can cut portions without it crumbling. Also, to fully enjoy this pie, I suggest you eat it cold.