Ingredients

• 2 sticks rhubarb (red not green)
• chopped
• 40g/1½oz caster sugar
• 1 eating apple
• peeled
• cored
• diced
• 6 prunes
• stones removed
• chopped roughly
• unsalted butter
• for greasing
• 575g/1lb 4½oz plain flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 575g/1lb 4½oz strong white bread flour
• pinch flaked sea salt
• 400g/14oz lard
• 1 large free-range egg
• beaten
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1.5kg/3lb 5oz boned pork shoulder
• three-quarters coarsely minced
• one-quarter finely chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz pork belly
• three-quarters coarsely minced
• one-quarter finely chopped
• 250g/9oz streaky bacon
• three-quarters coarsely minced
• one-quarter finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp ground mace
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• leaves picked and finely chopped
• 7 sage leaves
• finely chopped
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• finely chopped
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 3 tsp flaked sea salt
• 10 prunes
• stones removed
• 40g/1â…“oz sugar
• or to taste
• 2 Bramley apples
• peeled
• cored
• chopped
• 2 sticks rhubarb
• chopped
• fresh edible flowers
• such as violas and pansies
• fresh bay leaves
• few springs fresh flatleaf parsley

Directions

• Grease the cake tins (1 x 10cm/4in
• 1 x 15cm/6in and 1 x 20cm/8in springform tins) and dust them with flour.
• For the rhubarb
• apple and prune flavourings
• put the rhubarb and 50g/1¾oz sugar in a pan set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes to allow any water in the rhubarb to evaporate. When the rhubarb is quite dry
• set it aside to cool.
• Place the remaining caster sugar and chopped apples in a saucepan set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer until the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is quite dry.
• For the filling
• mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl
• then divide the mixture between three bowls - with just under half the mixture in one bowl
• about a third in another and the remainder in the final bowl. Add the rhubarb
• apple and prune flavourings
• with the rhubarb in the large bowl
• the apple in the middle and the prune in the smallest. Squish well with your fingers to mix.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• For the hot water crust pastry
• sieve the flours and salt into a large heatproof bowl.
• Place 440ml/16fl oz water and the lard into a pan and bring to the boil.
• Add the hot liquor gradually to the flour mixture and use a knife to bring the dough together.
• While the dough is still hot (but cool enough to handle)
• use your hands to briefly knead the dough until smooth. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.
• Pinch out a third of the dough to make the pie lids. Divide this into three pieces and roll them out (make sure that each lid is just a little larger than the circumference of the tin you are making it for). Use the off-cuts from the lids to make leaves to decorate the pies.
• With the remaining dough
• roll out three large circles each one big enough to line one of the tins.
• Using a rolling pin to help you
• line all three tins with the pastry. Push the pastry up the sides of the tins to the top ensuring there are no holes or cracks anywhere.
• Fill the pies with the respective fillings. Make sure the fillings reach about an inch from the top of the tins.
• Brush the top of the pastry case with beaten egg then place the lids on top
• crimping the edges well to seal.
• Using a small sharp knife
• make crosses in the middle of the lids and peel up the corners to reveal a hole. Stick a fresh bay leaf in each hole to keep it open whilst cooking and also to add flavour.
• Bake the pies for 30 minutes
• then remove the smallest pie. Turn the oven down to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and bake the medium-sized pie for a further hour and the largest for a further 1½ hours.
• When the pies are cooked
• carefully unfurl the sides of the springform tins and remove (keep the base in place) – if the pastry is too soft to hold its shape
• secure the sides of the tin and return to the oven for a few minutes before testing again. Brush the sides with beaten egg and stick the reserved pastry leaves all around the outside then egg wash again. Return to the oven for a final 30 minutes
• or until golden-brown.
• Meanwhile
• make the purées. Chop the prunes and mix them with a splash of water. Blend to a purée using a handheld blender. Taste and add approximately 10g/â…“oz sugar
• or sweeten as desired. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and set aside.
• Next make the apple purée. Put the apple in a pan with a few tablespoons of water and 10g/â…“oz sugar and cook until the apple is soft. Blend to a purée using a handheld blender and set aside to cool slightly. Spoon the purée into small serving dishes and set aside. Repeat the process using the rhubarb
• but adding a little more sugar.
• For the decoration
• when the pies are cooked remove the bases of the tins and transfer to a cooling rack.
• Remove the bay leaves and place each pie on its corresponding cake base.
• Insert four dowels into the 20cm/8in pie and five into the 15cm/6in pie. Place the pies on top of each other on a circular wooden chopping board with the 10cm/4in pie at the top.
• Decorate the tiers with edible flowers
• bay leaves and fresh parsley. Serve the pies with the purées.