Ingredients

• 6 sheets leaf gelatine
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 100ml/3½fl oz cold water
• 300ml/10fl oz dry cider (this needs to be fizzy)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage leaves
• 400g/14oz pork shoulder
• fat trimmed
• cut into 1.5cm/½in chunks
• 150g/5oz pork belly mince
• 100g/3½oz bacon (pork collar)
• cut into 1.5cm/½in chunks
• 100g/3½oz ready-to-eat apricots
• cut in half
• 1 leek
• trimmed
• cut into 1cm/¼in slices
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp finely grated nutmeg
• 1 medium free-range egg
• beaten
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ready-to-eat prunes
• 425g/15oz plain flour
• plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 50g/2oz chilled butter
• cut into cubes
• plus extra
• softened
• for greasing
• 150g/5oz chilled lard
• cut into cubes
• 150ml/5fl oz water
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• for glazing

Directions

• For the cider and sage jelly
• line a 15cm x 25cm x 5cm/6in x 10in x 2in roasting tray or ovenproof dish with cling film.
• Soften the gelatine leaves by placing them in a bowl and covering with cold water. Set aside for five minutes
• or until pliant.
• Heat the sugar and water in a lipped saucepan
• stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil for 30 seconds
• then remove the pan from the heat and set aside for five minutes.
• Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine leaves and add to the pan of warm sugar syrup. Stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.
• Slowly pour the cider into the pan
• at one side. Mix gently. Pour the mixture into a jug and chill in the fridge for 1½-2 hours
• or until the jelly has started to set. (You need it to hold the sage in suspension
• so don’t let it set too much or too little.)
• Once chilled
• remove the jelly from the fridge and
• using a fork
• whisk the chopped sage into it. This will create bubbles and make the jelly look fizzy. Pour the haf-set jelly into the lined roasting tray or dish
• cover with cling film and return to the fridge for at least three hours
• or until fully set.
• Meanwhile
• for the filling
• mix the pork shoulder
• pork belly mince
• bacon
• apricots
• leek
• ground ginger
• allspice
• grated nutmeg
• egg and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Season with freshly ground black pepper and mix again.
• For the pastry
• grease the inside of a 17.5cm/7in spring-form cake tin with butter.
• Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the pepper. Using your fingertips
• rub the butter and 50g/2oz of the larb into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the mixture.
• Heat the remaining lard and the water and salt in a small saucepan over a medium heat. When the mixture is simmering
• pour it into the well in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon
• gradually drawing the dry mixture into the liquid until the mixture comes together as a dough.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and pliable. Cover with cling film and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. (Do not put the dough in the fridge; it will become hard and crumbly.)
• Once the pastry has rested
• unwrap it and cut off one-third to be used as the pie lid. Roll the remaining two-thirds of pastry into a ball and roll out onto a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 7mm.
• Line the prepared spring-form tin with the pastry
• pressing into the base and sides of the tin to prevent air bubbles from forming. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the edge of the tin.
• Spoon half of the filling mixture into the pastry case
• pressing it down firmly with the back of a spoon. Flatten the prunes with the palms of your hands and arrange them on top of the filling mixture. Cover the prunes with the remaining filling mixture
• pressing down as before.
• Roll out the reserved one-third of pastry until it is large enough to cover the pie. Brush the overhanging edges of the pie with water and place the pastry lid on top
• squeezing it together at the edges to seal. Trim off most of the excess pastry using scissors
• crimping the decorative edge. (You can use the trimmings to decorate the pie lid if desired.) Make a small hole in the centre of the pie lid using a sharp knife. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• When the pie is ready to cook
• preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place the pie tin onto a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 1¼ hours. Remove from the oven and very carefully release the sides of the spring-form tin. Leave the pie on the tin base and return to the baking tray.
• Inspect the pie for cracks
• patching any up with the pastry trimmings
• smoothing into place with beaten egg. Then brush the pie all over with a little beaten egg to glaze. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
• Remove the pie from the oven and glaze again with more beaten egg. (If the juices are beginning to run out of the top of the pie
• make a small chimney out of a piece of aluminium foil and stick it into the hole in the pie lid.) Return the pie to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes
• or until the pastry is golden-brown. Set aside to cool for at least six hours before serving (chill in the fridge once cooled).
• To serve
• remove the cling film from the jelly and turn it out onto a chopping board. Cut the jelly into 2cm/¾in cubes. Cut the pork pie into wedges and serve with a few cubes of cider and sage jelly alongside.