Pies, Puddings and Pottages

Grease the baking sheet with lard.

To make the pastry sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Cut the butter into very small chunks and add them to the bowl and stir them in loosely until all the butter chunks are coated in flour.

Add the cold water and bring together to a wet dough with a lumpy consistency.

Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface and shape into a rectangular block.

Roll the dough to a rectangle three times longer than it is short, keeping the edges straight and even.

The rolled-out pastry should have a marbled effect from the lumps of butter.

Fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that.

Give it a quarter turn and roll out again to the original sized rectangle.

Repeat the folding, turning and rolling out 3 more times or until the marbling effect has disappeared.

Fold once more and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 190C/375F/gas 5.

To make the filling place the lard in the frying pan and heat until hot.

Reduce the heat, add the onion and bacon and sauté until the onion is translucent and the bacon is beginning to brown.

Add the chopped apples, stir in and continue to cook for a few minutes.

Add the liver and cook for a further three minutes. You want the liver to still be quite pink as it will cook further in the oven.

Add the herbs and seasoning, stir in and take off the heat.

Allow the meat mixture to cool to room temperature.

Take the pastry out of the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface.

Roll out the pastry and using the plate as a guide, cut into four 20cm diameter rounds.

Place three heaped tablespoons of mixture onto each round.

Bring the four corners of the pastry up to meet above the meat mixture and press to hold together. Bring up the remaining pastry to meet the already pressed corners. Press together leaving a couple of centimetres sticking out over the top. It should resemble a draw string purse.

Cut a thin strip of pastry and wrap round the pressed part of the top – like the drawstring of the purse.

Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.