Fidget pie

500g shortcrust pastry

3 tbsp semolina

450g potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced

2 tbsp plain flour

300g Bramley cooking apples, peeled and thickly sliced

2 onions, finely sliced

300g ham, thickly sliced

2-3 tbsp soft brown sugar

8 sprigs of sage, leaves chopped

110ml dry cider

1 egg, beaten

To prepare the pastry: Preheat the oven to 190°. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry to about 5mm and line a 23cm cake tin. Let the pastry hang over the edges of the tin. Cover with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, or rice.

Place the tin in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the baking parchment and beans or rice and return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes. Remove, cool slightly and trim off any excess pastry. Sprinkle the semolina over the pastry to absorb excess moisture.

To make the pie: Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until just tender. drain and toss in with the flour, double cream and salt and pepper.

Layer the filling ingredients into the base. Start with a layer of apples, followed by potatoes, onions and ham, season as you go with sugar, sage and salt and pepper. Add the cider, pour carefully so it doesn't fizz.

Roll the remaining pastry into a disk that is big enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the case with beaten egg and the lid, pinch the pastry to form a seal. Place the pie in the oven for an hour.

Pork pie

Filling

400g shoulder pork, finely chopped

55g fatty pork belly, minced

55g lean bacon, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp finely grated nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

Jelly

900g pork bones

2 pig's trotters

2 large carrots and 2 celery sticks

1 onion

1 bouquet garni

1/2 tbsp black peppercorns

Pastry

150g lard

50ml full fat milk

50ml water

450g plain flour

1/2 tsp black pepper

To make the pastry: Best done a day ahead. Put the lard, milk and water into a small pan. Heat until the lard has melted and the mixture is warm. Sift the flour into a large bowl, season with pepper and salt and mix well. Mix the warm lard liquid into the flour and knead to form a ball. Leave to rest in the fridge.

To prepare the jelly: Put all the jelly ingredients into a large saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the bones. Slowly bring in the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Remove any scum that forms and continue to simmer for 3 hours. Strain through a sieve and pour into a clean pan and reduce the stock until about 600ml is left.

To make the pie: Preheat the oven to 180°c. Put all the meat, spices and seasoning for the filling into a large bowl and mix well together with hands. Take a small jam jar and rub in plain flour to stop the pastry sticking. Knead a piece of pastry into a circle about 3cm thick. Lay the jam jar on the disk and press the pastry up the sides of the jar, using thumbs to create the case. Gradually easy the pastry away from the sides of the jar and remove.

Roll some meat into a ball and carefully throw in the pastry case. Brush the top edges of the pastry with beaten egg. Cut a smaller circle of pastry to fit the top of the pie, place it on top and press the edges to seal them. Brush the top with beaten egg and bake for 45-60 mins. Once cool, cut 2 small holes in the top and pour in the liquid jelly and leave to cool again.

Cornish Pasty

450g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

125g unsalted butter

2 egg yolks

125ml cold water

450g potatoes finely diced

150g swede, finely diced

150g onions, finely chopped

300g beef skirt, finely chopped

1 tbsp plain flour

40g butter

1 egg, beaten

To make the pastry: Place the flour, baking powder, salt and butter in a bowl and rub together until breadcrumbs. Whisk together the egg yolks and water. Slowly add the liquids into the dry ingredients until the pastry comes together into a ball. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for an hour.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 180°c. Roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick. Cut around a dinner plate to form pastry circles.

Separately season all the vegetables with salt and pepper. Put the beef into a bowl and mix with the flour and some salt and pepper.

Place some potatoes, swede, onions and beef on one half of the circle, leaving a gap around the edge. Then fold the pastry over the vegetables and meat and seal firmly. Starting at one side and crimp the edges over. Brush all over with beaten egg and then make a small hole in the top with a knife to let out steam. Repeat.

Put the pasties in the oven and cook for 50 minutes, until golden and the filling is cooked. Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Granny's Cheese and Onion Pie

for a 7-8 inch pie dish you will need:
1 Packet of ready rolled short crust pastry or
200g self raising flour
100g marg or marg and lard mix
enough water to bind.
chill in fridge for an hour.


1 large onion peeled and thinly sliced
about 200-300 g strong cheddar [depends how much you nick as you make the pie]
2 large eggs beaten
salt and ground white pepper


here we go.

Heat oven 180' [now there's a surprise Grandad reckons I cook everything at 180!!!]
Roll out half the pastry and line the dish
place a layer of onion then a layer of cheese.
Season with the S&P
Now another layer of onion and then chesse. Season this layers.
Pour over the beaten eggs and top with the remaining pastry.
Brush with any egg left over or a bit of milk
bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until as they say the pie is golden.
Enjoy....brilliant hot or cold
bigger pie + more pastry, cheese onion and eggs you can work that out for yourselves.