Pork and Apple Pie (English Leicestershire)

This gorgeous pie plays on the wonderful affinity between pork and apples. The fruit gives a subtle sweetness to the cider-enriched gravy and the sage lends an aromatic note. This recipe hails from Leicestershire and has been adapted from a very old tradition to accomodate today's ingredients.

Filling:
1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium-large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 (1 lb/500 g) pork shoulder, cut into (1½"/3-4 cm)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
6 oz dry cider (175 mL)
6 oz chicken stock (175 mL)
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced (5½ oz/150 g)
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and sliced (8-9 oz/225-250 g in total)
6 large sage leaves, chopped
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Cider Pastry:
1 free-range egg, beaten
4 oz dry cider (125 mL)
4 oz extra-virgin olive oil (125 mL)
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch kosher salt
12-14 oz all-purpose flour, unbleached (350-400 g)
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp. water, for glaze

To Serve:
mashed potatoes
greens

For the Filling:
Heat one Tbsp. of oil in a large, wide pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook gently for 8-10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Remove the vegetables from the pan.

Add a little more oil if necessary, increase the heat to medium-high and add half of the pork. Brown it well on all sides, remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining pork.

Turn the heat down a little. Return all the pork to the pan with the onion and celery. Sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook for one minute.

Gradually add the cider and stock, stirring them in so that the flour is absorbed. Add the apples and sage. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the pork is tender.

Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a (2 lb 12 oz/1.2 L) pie dish and leave to cool.

For the Cider Pastry:
Beat the egg in a large bowl with the cider, olive oil, baking powder and salt. Gradually mix in the flour until you have a soft dough. You may not need all the flour. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Assemble the Pie:
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 3 mm thickness. Cut a ¾" (2 cm) strip from the pastry. Dampen the rim of the pie dish with water. Press the pastry strip onto the rim and dampen this too. Sit a pie funnel in the centre of the filling. Put the remaining pastry over the pie and press down the edges to seal. Crimp the edges then trim off the excess pastry.

Brush the pastry with beaten egg and make a steam hole in the centre, exposing the funnel.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Leave for 10-15 minutes before serving, with mash and greens.