National Pie Day.

23rd January is officially National Pie Die so please allow me the pleasure of sharing my favourite recipe. It originates from Shropshire.

Fidget Pie

225g flour
pinch salt
100g lard cut into small pieces
2-3 tsp cold water
Filling:
1 large potato peeled and chopped
1 large onion peeled and chopped
1/4kg streaky bacon chopped
1 large cooking apple peeled, cored and chopped
salt and pepper
150ml water
little milk to glaze

Sift the flour and salt into  bowl, add the lard and rub in with fingertips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to mix to a stiff dough with a palette knife. Knead lightly on a floured surface for one minute until smooth. Wrap in foil or greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Grease a 1 litre pie dish and into it put layers of chopped potato, onion and lastly the diced bacon and chopped apple mixed, seasoning each layer well. Add the water.

Roll out pastry fairly thickly to fit the top of the pie dish, cutting a strip to go round the lip of the dish from the trimmings. Dampen this strip with cold water and put the pastry lid on top of this, pressing down well to seal. Cut two small vents in the top for steam. Decorate the top with the rest of the trimmings and brush with milk.

Bake at 200C for 30 mins or until pastry is golden brown. Reduce temp to 160C and cook for another hour, cover with foil to stop pastry burning. Serve hot.

Arilx