Pork, chicken & apricot pie

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4 and line a 900g loaf tin with a long strip of baking parchment so the pie is easier to remove later.

In a large bowl, combine the sausagemeat, bacon and mace. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the lard and salt into a small pan with 250ml water and heat on medium until the water is boiling and the fat has melted. Meanwhile, weigh the flours into a large bowl, then pour the boiling mixture into the flours and stir until a dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Move quickly, because the dough becomes more difficult to work with as it cools.

Roll out ⅔ of the dough on a floured surface to a large rectangle. Place the tin in the centre, so you can check there is enough pastry to come all the way up the tin’s sides. Using your fingers, mould the pastry into the tin, pressing it right into the corners. If any gaps form, or the pastry looks too thin, use a small ball of excess dough to patch it up. Allow the pastry at the top to overhang at this point.

Press ½ the sausagemeat mixture into the bottom of the pastry case. Arrange the chicken fillets in an even layer over the top, pressing down firmly to make sure there are no air gaps. Top with the apricots in an even layer, then the remaining sausagemeat mixture. The loaf tin should be filled to the top.

Roll out the remaining pastry into a rectangle about the same size as the tin and lay it on top. Using your fingers, crimp the lid onto the pie, making sure you get a good seal. Using a sharp knife, trim any excess pastry from the edges and make a hole in the middle of the lid with a wooden spoon to allow steam to escape. Use any spare pastry from the trimmings to make decorations for the top, if liked.

Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg, then bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown and crisp. If the pastry starts to colour too much, cover it with foil and continue to bake so the inside is properly cooked.

Allow the pie to cool in the tin for around 10 minutes, then carefully lift it out using the strip of baking parchment. Move the pie onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the jelly, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. Dissolve the stock cube in 200ml boiling water in a small jug, then stir in the softened gelatine leaves. When fully dissolved, slowly and carefully pour the jelly into the hole in the top of the pie. Once full to the top, refrigerate the pie for a couple of hours (preferably overnight) until completely chilled and set. Serve sliced, with pickles, mustard or chutney of your choice.