Ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz plain flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 100g/3½oz strong white flour
• 2½ tsp salt
• 125g/4½oz chilled salted butter
• cubed
• 150g/5½oz vegetable fat (such as Trex)
• plus extra for greasing
• 325ml/11fl oz boiling water
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• 200g/7oz boneless chicken thighs
• cut into bite-sized pieces
• 150g/5½oz dried apricots
• thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs lemon thyme
• leaves picked (normal thyme also works)
• 400g/14oz good-quality pork sausages
• casings removed
• 1 baking potato
• peeled and very thinly sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Grease a deep 20cm/8in round cake tin with vegetable fat.
• For the pastry
• sift the flours and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until loose crumbs form and there are no large chunks of butter remaining.
• Add the vegetable fat and boiling water to a jug and stir until the fat is dissolved. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the fat mixture. Beat using a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in a ball. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and well combined. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate while you make the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place the baking tray in the oven to preheat.
• For the filling
• mix the onion
• chicken
• apricots and thyme in a bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and set aside about a third to make the lid. Briefly knead the remaining dough and place in the bottom of the cake tin. Using your hands
• gently push the dough out to cover the base and sides of the tin in an even layer of pastry. (Alternatively
• you can roll out the pastry on a floured work surface and line the tin that way.) Make sure there are no cracks or holes in the pastry. Roll out the reserved pastry on a floured work surface to make the lid.
• Fill the pastry case with a layer of sausagemeat
• then all the chicken and apricot mixture
• a layer of potato slices and finally another layer of sausagemeat. Place the lid on top of the pie and crimp the edges to seal. Using a sharp knife
• cut away any excess pastry overhanging the tin and cut a small circle in the middle of the lid for steam to escape when cooking. Brush the lid with beaten egg.
• Place the pie on the preheated tray (this will help the base crisp up and catch any fat that leaks from the pie) and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes
• or until the top is deep golden-brown.
• Leave to cool completely in the tin
• then serve in slices.