To start the New Year 2025, here’s my ‘recipe of the month’ for January – St Clement’s pie. I try to link each recipe to whatever’s in season, so I’m starting the year with a citrus kick. Oranges and lemons are the key ingredients for this pie and are plentiful in January. I also like to choose recipes that don’t need a lot of ingredients and taste just as scrummy as the ones that Grandma Abson used to bake.
The bells of St Clements
There are numerous stories associated with St Clement of Rome, who is considered the patron saint of mariners. But we usually associate St Clement with the nursery rhyme that begins “Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of St Clement’s….” This popular rhyme refers to the bells of St Clement Danes or St Clements Eastcheap in London. It then goes on to list the bells at other churches: St Martins, Old Bailey, Shoreditch, Stephany and Bow, all of which are located close to where citrus fruits were unloaded at the City of London’s quaysides.
Just like the rhyme’s pealing bells, this pie rings with the zest and juice of fresh citrus.
St Clement’s pie
For the shortcrust pastry:
110g/4oz butter
225g/8oz plain flour
1 egg
A little water (or a little milk and water)
Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. (You can also use a food mixer or processor to do this.) Make a well in the centre and drop in the egg. Add enough water to form a stiff dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove, then roll out the pastry into a circle to line a 20cm/8in. flan/pie dish. Trim the excess pastry from the edge of the dish, then prick the base with a fork. Line with baking paper and add dried beans or peas.
Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the beans and paper. (This is called ‘baking blind’. Keep the beans or peas in a jar for reuse.) Set aside the pastry crust to cool.
For the citrus filling and meringue:
Zest & juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
110g/4oz caster sugar
5 tsps cornflour
2 eggs (separated)
½ pint/ 275ml water
Heat the lemon and orange zest, juice and 50g/2oz sugar gently in a pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Mix the cornflour with 6 tbsps of the water to form a paste. Stir into the mixture with the rest of the water until blended and smooth. Leave to cool slightly. Stir in the egg yolks till well blended and the mixture thickens to a smooth, custard-like consistency. Pour into the pastry case.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the rest of the sugar, continuing to whisk until meringue is glossy. Spoon onto the filling, using a spatula to spread it out and create swirls. Bake in a 300F, Mark 2, 150C preheated oven for 30 minutes until golden.
Meryl says…
This pie is delicious to eat either hot or cold. I love it when the citrusy filling has just set and is still warm, and the meringue is freshly peaked. Yum!
Happy New Year and #Keepbaking!
P.S. Got any extra clementines? Try Clementine and Ginger Cake for another seasonal delight!
You can read more about Grandma Abson’s life and her passion for baking and recipes HERE, and head over to Instagram @grandmaabson to see Meryl baking with her grandchildren.
