I read about this ages ago under 'Bacon and Apple' in Niki Segnit's The Flavour Thesaurus. And eventually, this weekend, I got around to making it, with recipes adapted from here and here. It was good - usually I associate savoury pies with a dark, heavy filling, but this was surprisingly light. I would say definitely one to make again.
Regarding the stock: I went for 100ml homemade chicken stock with 50ml grape and apple juice, leftover from the making of the rustic grape butter. I recommend a similar mix of stock and cider, or wine - whatever you have to hand.
Fidget Pie
Serves 2-4, depending how hungry you are
For the pastry:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
Up to 3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon milk
For the filling:
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion
1 apple
3 potatoes
1 tablespoon flour
10 rashers bacon
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
150ml liquid stock (see note above)
A few small pats of butter
Seasoning
Make the shortcrust pastry:
Cut the butter into small chunks while it's still cold, and rub it into the flour with clean hands. Once incorporated, add a little water at a time and knead to make a dough. Roll out into the shape of your pie dish and leave to rest while you make the filling.
Filling:
Slice the onion, apple and potato into fine slices, and fry in the butter. Season with salt, pepper, and half of the mixed herbs and cinnamon. Toss with a tablespoon of flour and dump unceremoniously into the waiting pie dish.
Then add the bacon to the pan, adding more butter or oil if necessary. Cook until coloured, seasoning with the other half of the mixed herbs and cinnamon, as well as salt and pepper. Add to the pie dish and muddle everything together.
Pour in the 150ml liquid stock mixture, whatever you've chosen to go with, and put four or five thin slices of butter over the top. Cover with the pastry, remembering to make a few steamholes. Trim the edges of the pastry and use these to decorate the pie - I went for writing "T and F" in shorthand, because I am odd and romantic like that.
Brush the pastry with the tablespoon of milk.
Bake at 200 degrees (390 Fahrenheit) for thirty minutes, and serve.
