Ingredients

• 6 large free-range eggs
• 450g/1lb pork sausage meat
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 lemon
• finely grated zest only
• 4 pickled walnuts
• drained and dried with kitchen paper
• 500g/1lb 2oz chicken breasts
• skin removed
• sliced into long strips
• 1 x 200g/7oz piece gammon steak
• rind removed
• sliced into long strips
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250g/9oz plain flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 100g/3½oz lard
• plus extra for greasing
• pinch salt
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• for glazing

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease the base and sides of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with lard and line with baking parchment.
• For the filling
• place the eggs into a saucepan
• cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 8 minutes
• drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water. Set aside until cooled
• then peel. Trim the white from each end of the eggs so the yolk is just visible at each end. (This means that everyone will get a whole slice of egg in their piece of pie; the trimmed egg whites can be reserved for use in a salad or sandwiches.)
• Mix the sausage meat
• thyme and lemon zest together in a large bowl and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set aside until needed.
• For the hot-water crust pastry
• sift the flour into a bowl.
• Pour 100ml/3½fl oz of water into a saucepan
• add the lard and salt
• and bring to the boil
• boiling until the lard has melted.
• Gradually pour the boiling water and lard mixture over the flour
• mixing well with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together as a dough. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and pliant.
• Cut off one-third of the dough
• wrap it in cling film and set aside to use for the pie lid.
• Turn out the remaining dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a thin rectangle large enough to line the whole of the inside of the tin and reach over the edges slightly.
• Line the tin with the pastry
• pushing it into the base and corners and leaving a little hanging over the edges.
• Using slightly wet hands
• press one-third (about 150g/5oz) of the sausage meat mixture into the bottom of the pastry-lined tin. Put half of the dried pickled walnuts on top
• then arrange half of the chicken strips down the sides and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Spread a thin layer (about 75g/3oz) of the remaining sausage meat mixture on top of the chicken and walnuts
• then arrange the eggs
• end to end
• in a line down the middle of the tin
• pushing them slightly into the sausage meat mixture. Cover the eggs with another 75g/3oz portion of the sausage meat mixture. Arrange the ham strips on top
• across the length of the tin.
• Cover the ham with another 75g/3oz layer of sausage meat
• then sprinkle the remaining pickled walnuts on top. Arrange the remaining chicken strips on top
• then cover with the remaining sausage meat mixture
• pressing it down firmly to ensure the pie does not crumble when cut.
• Roll out the reserved one-third of pastry onto a lightly floured work surface.
• Brush some of the beaten egg over the overhanging pastry lining the tin. Cover the pie with the pastry lid
• pressing to seal to the overhanging pastry. Trim and crimp the edges of the pastry. Make a small hole in the middle of the pastry lid to allow steam to escape.
• Roll out any pastry trimmings and cut them into shapes to decorate the top of the pie
• sticking them to the lid with a little beaten egg. Brush the top of the pie all over with the remaining beaten egg.
• Transfer the pie to a baking tray
• then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes
• or until light golde-brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and continue to bake for 1 hour
• or until the pastry is deep golden-brown on top and the filling is cooked through.
• Allow the pie to cool completely in the tin
• then lift out of the tin using the baking paper lining. Peel away the baking paper and chill the pie in the fridge overnight.
• To serve
• cut the pie into thick slices and serve cold.