HAM AND APPLE PIE Serve this with a robust vegetable, such as broccoli, cabbage or sprouts and boiled, buttered new potatoes. Cook in deep, individual dishes if you have the time.
SERVES 4–6 FOR THE SUET CRUST PASTRY: ●
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FOR THE FILLING:
● 450g cooked ham, diced
● 3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper
● 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
● ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
● ¼ tsp ground allspice
● 450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
● 2 onions, thinly sliced
● 300ml dry (hard) cider
● Salt and freshly ground black pepper
● A 900ml pie dish
● A pie funnel
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/gas 6.
1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, add the lard, and rub in with your fingertips until combined.
Stir in the suet and herbs and mix to a soft dough with just enough of the water to bind. Knead lightly until smooth, then leave to rest in a cool place.
2. Toss the cooked, diced ham in the seasoned flour to lightly coat it. Mix the sugar and spices together in a separate bowl.
3. Put half of the ham in the pie dish and cover with half of the apples, then half of the spice mixture and half of the onion slices. Repeat these layers, seasoning between each one, then pour in the dry cider.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and make a small slit in the centre to fit over the pie funnel. Dampen the edges of the pie dish with a little milk and cover with the pastry. Brush the pastry with milk, set the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C/ 350°F/gas 4 and bake for a further hour until golden, covering the top with kitchen foil if the pastry is becoming too dark.