Fidget pie – or fidgety pie – makes a lovely autumn meal. Turn it into a proper harvest lunch with some country bread, piccalilli and a glass of cider
Prep:40 mins
Serves 8
For the pastry500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting140g lardbutter, for the tin1 egg, beaten for glazing
STEP 1To make the pastry, tip the flour into a large bowl with 1 tsp salt. Heat the lard and 210ml of water in a medium saucepan until the lard melts and the water is just simmering. Carefully pour the hot liquid into the flour and stir together with a wooden spoon. When the mixture has comes together, tip it onto a floured surface and knead lightly to make a dough. Cover and set aside.STEP 2To make the filling, mix the pork, cider, 1 tsp salt, sage, mace and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the bacon, onion, apple and potato to the mixture. Once again mix really well – the best way to do this is with your hands.STEP 3Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place a 22cm springform cake tin, without its base, on a baking sheet. Line the bottom of the tin with a layer of greaseproof paper and butter the sides well. On a lightly floured surface roll out two-thirds of the pastry to a large circle and use it to line the cake tin, allowing the pastry to overlap the rim slightly. Trim off any excess. Roll remaining pastry to form a lid large enough to cover the pie. Set aside.STEP 4Put filling in the pie case and push down well. Brush the pastry case’s edges with a little water and cover with the lid. Crimp the edges together and brush the whole with the beaten egg. Bake for 1 hr then turn off the heat and allow the pie to cool in the oven for 30 mins. Remove from oven and cool for 1 hr before eating.
