Fidget Pie (Traditional Shropshire Ham and Apple Pie)

• Potato2 medium potatoes
• Apple2 large cooking apples
• Puff pastry500g puff pastry
• Onion1 large onion
• Butter25g butter
• Egg1 egg, beaten
• Flour1 tbsp plain flour
• Ham300g diced cooked ham
• Cider150ml dry cider

How to Make It

• 1

  Begin by preparing your vegetables: peel and dice 1 large onion, peel, core, and dice 2 large cooking apples, and peel and thinly slice 2 medium potatoes. Having everything ready before you start cooking makes the process much smoother.

• 2

  Melt 25g of butter in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until it has softened and become translucent, but not browned.

• 3

  Stir in 1 tbsp of plain flour with the softened onions and cook for 1 minute, ensuring the flour is fully absorbed. Gradually pour in 150ml of dry cider, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the thinly sliced potatoes and 100ml water, stir gently, cover and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are nearly tender.

• 4

  Add the diced cooked ham and diced apples to the pan with the part-cooked potatoes. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Stir everything together gently, then remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely; this prevents the pastry from becoming soggy.

• 5

  Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F / Gas Mark 6) with a baking sheet on the middle shelf. On a lightly floured surface, roll out approximately two-thirds of the 500g puff pastry and use it to line a 20cm pie dish, leaving an overhang. Carefully spoon the cooled filling into the pastry-lined dish.

• 6

  Roll out the remaining puff pastry to form a lid. Moisten the edges of the base pastry with a little water, then place the lid over the filling, pressing firmly to seal the edges. Trim off any excess pastry and crimp the edges decoratively.

• 7

  Cut a small steam vent in the centre of the pie lid. Brush the entire surface of the pie with 1 beaten egg for a beautiful golden glaze. If you wish, you can decorate with pastry offcuts.

• 8

  Place the Fidget Pie on the hot baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden brown and puffed and the filling is piping hot. If the pastry starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover it with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving, allowing the flavours to meld.