pork, apple & braised red cabbage pie

makes 6

This pie tastes much better in winter. Do not even attempt to bake it unless it’s below 18°C (64°F) outside with at least a light drizzle of rain.

ingredients

20 ml (½ fl oz/1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

50 g (1¾ oz) brown onions, finely chopped

75 g (2¾ oz) celery, cut into 1.5 cm (⁵/₈ inch) pieces

2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked

8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) pork shoulder, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) cubes (ask your butcher to do this)

250 g (9 oz) tomatoes, chopped

5 g (¹/₈ oz/1 teaspoon) salt

2½ g (¹/₈ oz/½ teaspoon) white pepper

110 g (3¾ oz) apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1.5 cm (⁵/₈ inch) cubes

150 g (5½ oz) red cabbage, shredded into 3 cm (1¼ inch) lengths

4 g (¹/₈ oz/1 teaspoon) potato flour

1 quantity savoury shortcrust pastry

½ quantity puff pastry

egg wash, for brushing

fennel seeds, for sprinkling

method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, rosemary and thyme and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it has lost its pink colour. Add the tomato and enough water to cover the pork; then add the salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours, skimming any scum that rises to the surface and stirring every 30 minutes, until the pork is tender. Allow to cool.

Add the apple and cabbage to the saucepan and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes. Strain off the liquid into another saucepan, reserving the pork mixture in a large container. Continue to cook the liquid over high heat until reduced by one-third. Remove from the heat. Mix together the potato flour and 2 teaspoons water and add to the cooking liquid, then add the liquid to the pork mixture stirring well to combine.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Roll out the savoury pastry following the instructions on sweet shortcrust pastry and use it to line the base and sides of six 12.5 cm (4¾ inch) pie tins. Roll out the puff pastry following the instructions and cut out six circles with a 13.5 cm (5¼ inch) diameter to make the pie lids.

Spoon the mixture into the pastry-lined pie tins, filling them to the brim. To attach the puff pastry lids, brush the rim of the pastry base and lid with a little egg wash and lay the lid over the base. Pinch gently between your thumb and index finger to make a good seal around the circumference edge. Brush the top of the pie lid with egg wash, sprinkle with fennel seeds, and make a small hole in the middle to allow steam to escape. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) and bake the pies for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove the pies from the tins and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving.