My god-mother makes this pie on a regular basis and it reminds me of cold winter nights sat by a roaring fire with a simple plate of this delicious pie

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 60g/2oz butter, cut into small pieces
• 60g/2oz lard, cut into small pieces
• 200g/7oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• pinch salt

For the filling

• 25g/1oz butter
• 3 onions, roughly sliced
• salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 250g/9oz Lancashire cheese, coarsely grated
• milk, for sealing and glazing

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and place a baking tray in the oven to heat through.
2. For the pastry, place the butter and lard into a large bowl with the flour and salt. Gently rub the fat into the flour using finger tips until the texture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs. Alternatively use a food processor to bind the fat and flour.
3. Add 2-3 tbsp ice cold water to bind the mixture. Lightly knead the dough until well amalgamated, dust with flour and place into a sealable plastic bag. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before using. If you are in a rush, you can use the dough straightaway.
4. For the filling, heat the butter in a saucepan and fry the onions for 10 minutes, without colouring. Stir in 150ml/5fl oz water, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the onions, spread out onto a plate and set aside to cool.
5. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry until it is about 0.5cm/¼in thick and line a greased 20cm/8in loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving any excess pastry overhanging the edge.
6. Now roll out the remaining pastry to a similar thickness which will also be generously wide enough to use as a lid to the pie. Cover the base of the pie with half of the onions and then cover with half the grated cheese.
7. Repeat the layering process in step 6 until all the mixture is used up.
8. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid for the pie. Brush the edges of the pastry case with milk to seal the pastry lid upon it, while also pressing the edges together lightly before trimming off any excess overhang. Brush the surface of the pie with milk. Make three small incisions into the centre of the pie using the point of a sharp knife and, if you wish, further decorate to make a lattice effect.
9. Place the pie into the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and leave for a good 20-30 minutes before un-moulding and cutting into generous wedges.
10. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature (not piping hot).

This is an easy recipe to follow and produce, serve with chunky homemade chips or mashed potato

Ingredients

• 900g/2lb stewing steak, cut into cubes
• plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, for dusting
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 570ml/1 pint hot beef stock
• 225g/8oz ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
• 1 free-range egg, beaten

Preparation method

1. Dust the cubed steak with the seasoned flour
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan and fry the meat, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides.
3. Add the sliced onions, herbs, salt and freshly ground black pepper and the stock and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for an hour and a half.
5. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
6. Transfer the filling mixture to an ovenproof dish. Line the rim of the dish with a thin strip of pastry. Dampen the pastry rim by brushing with beaten egg. Cut a piece of pastry to fit across the top of the dish and place on top of the dish, pressing the edges together to seal. Decorate with pastry trimmings, make a steam hole in the centre of the pie by slashing with a sharp knife, then brush with more beaten egg.
7. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1-1½ hours. If the pastry gets too brown, cover it with foil. Serve hot.

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
2. Blanch the pepper for 2-3 minutes in a saucepan of boiling salted water, then drain, refresh in cold water and drain again.
3. Wipe the mushrooms and cut into quarters. Sauté in the 10g/1/2oz butter for 2-3 minutes, then set aside.
4. For the sauce, melt the 25g/1oz butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the flour and cook slowly over a low heat until the mixture is straw-coloured. Pour in the chicken stock, turn up the heat and stir constantly until simmering. Add the cream and reduce until the sauce has a syrupy consistency. Add the lemon juice and tarragon.
5. Turn off the heat, add the chicken, peppers and mushrooms to the pan.
6. Butter an ovenproof dish large enough to hold the chicken pie mixture with room to spare. Add the chicken mixture to the dish.
7. Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface, to a thickness of about 0.25in/1cm. Place the pastry over the filling and carefully trim the edges. Use the trimmings to make cut-out shapes to decorate the surface of the pie. Cut a couple of air holes with a knife to allow the steam to escape. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.
8. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for about 25-35 minutes. The top should be nicely browned and the filling piping hot. Remove, allow to cool slightly and serve.