Hogg and Simon say: “A gnarly, no-nonsense version of the Pieminister original: slow-cooked lamb shank with redcurrant and mint sauce and lovely chunks of veg. Serve up with some minty mushy peas and boiled new potatoes.”

Ingredients

• ½ portion of suet pastry (see below for recipe or use shortcrust)
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• Plain flour, for dusting

For the filling:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 lamb shanks
• A knob of butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 200ml (7fl oz) red wine
• 250ml (9fl oz) beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
• 1 carrot, washed and chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 300g (10½oz) swede, peeled and cut into cubes
• 100g (3½oz) frozen peas
• 1½ tablespoons redcurrant jelly
• 1 tablespoon mint sauce
• 1–2 teaspoons cornflour
• A small handful of chopped mint
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan, add the lamb shanks and season with salt and pepper. Brown the shanks on all sides, turning to ensure that they are evenly coloured. Remove from the pan.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the knob of butter to the pan.

Fry the onion over a low heat for 5–8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and balsamic vinegar and cook for a few minutes, then return the lamb to the pan and pour in the red wine and stock. Tuck the bay leaves in and sprinkle in the thyme leaves. Bring to a low simmer, cover with the lid and cook for about 2½ hours, or until the shank meat is beautifully tender and offers little resistance when poked with a knife. Turn the shanks over from time to time while cooking.

Add the carrot, celery and swede to the pan and cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the shanks from the pan and set aside. Add the frozen peas to the pan along with the redcurrant jelly and mint sauce.

Cook for a few minutes and then strain about 150ml (5fl oz) of the liquid into a measuring jug to set aside for making gravy. You may need to strain a bit more off, depending on how much the sauce has thickened after the long cook.

Mix 1 teaspoon of the cornflour with a little of the cooking liquid in a small bowl and then stir this into the pan and cook until nicely thickened.

You may need to stir in another teaspoon of the cornflour if the sauce hasn’t thickened enough. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped mint and leave the sauce to cool.

Spoon the lamb and veg into a large pie dish (we used a 22cm/8½in one), flaking a little of the meat into the veg and allowing the bones to stick up.

Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the suet pastry to fit the dish.

Carefully top the pie with it, pushing down on to the bones so that they poke through the lid. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Brush the pies with beaten egg and then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

Tip: Save this recipe for a time when you can get good, local lamb (hogget or mutton shanks would work well too). A regenerative farm will often produce both beef and lamb because cattle rip up large clumps of vegetation while sheep nibble the pasture short. This combo makes for super-healthy soil and a rich biodiversity.

Suet pastry recipe

Hogg and Simon say: “This is what we use to achieve the perfect crispy crunch of our pie lids. Steam the recipe rather than bake it and it’s a different beast altogether.”

Makes about 750g (1lb 10oz)

Takes 10 minutes

Rest 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 400g (14oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200g (7oz) vegetable suet
• About 120–150ml (4–5fl oz) dairy or plant-based milk

Method

Put the flour and salt into a bowl and stir in the suet.

Gradually add the milk, adding enough to make a fairly stiff dough. Be sure to add it very slowly or you might find the mixture becomes saturated. If this does happen, add a little extra flour.

Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. You can treat this pastry a little more firmly than ones made with butter.

Transfer the pastry to a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or wrap in reusable wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before use. You can leave the pastry to rest in the fridge in an airtight container or wrap for a few hours and it does freeze but is so quick to make it’s ideal to use fresh.

Hogg and Simon say: “Our friends at Frank Water provide safe, sustainable solutions to combat water scarcity in some of the world’s poorest communities, taking simple steps to ensure that precious groundwater stores are replenished. From planting trees to digging lakes, they’re helping create water-secure futures for thousands of people across Nepal and Northern India – the birthplace of the biryani – so we dedicate this pie to them and the great work they do.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 portion of vegan mighty white pastry (see recipe below)
• Plain flour, for dusting
• Plant-based milk, for brushing

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• 1 onion, sliced
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1–2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (to taste)
• 150g (5½oz) peeled celeriac, cut into 1.5cm (5/8in) cubes
• 2 small baby aubergines, sliced
• 150g (5½oz) cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 40g (1½oz) dried fruit, such as sultanas and raisins
• A small handful of coriander, chopped
• A small handful of mint, chopped
• 30g (1oz) cashews, toasted
• Salt

For the rice:

• 150g (5½oz) basmati rice
• 3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• A generous pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons rosewater

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a pan and fry the onion for 5–8 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add the fennel, nigella and cumin seeds and the chillies and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the celeriac, aubergine and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over a low heat (do not add any water) for 5 minutes or so, then add the cauliflower. After it’s nicely coated in everything and softened, add the tomato. Stir in the dried fruit and set aside to cool.

To make the rice, put the rice, cloves, bay leaf, crushed cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, turmeric and salt in a saucepan with 375ml (13fl oz) water. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid carefully wrapped in a tea towel (this will absorb extra liquid), reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid has all absorbed. The rice can still have a little bite. Remove the bay leaf and spices and set the rice aside to cool. Once cool, stir in the rosewater.

Grease a pie dish with a little oil. Dust a work surface with flour and set aside a third of the pastry for the lid. Roll out the remaining pastry to 3mm (1/8in) thick and use it to line a deep 22cm (8½in) pie dish, trimming the excess. Spoon in one third of the rice, cover with half of the vegetables and sprinkle with half of the fresh coriander and mint. Repeat these layers again and sprinkle over the toasted cashews. Finally, top with the remaining rice. Brush the edges of the pastry base with a little plant-based milk. Roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid. Brush the edges of the pie with a little water, then drape the lid over the top. Crimp the edges to seal and trim away any excess. Make a hole in the top. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour until you are ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Brush the pastry with oil and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cover with a sheet of foil if the pie is starting to look too brown before the cooking time is up. Great served with lime pickle, mango chutney, raita and a green salad. Use whatever vegetables need eating. try courgettes, peas, green beans - whatever’s in season and/or in your freezer. and if you don’t have all the spices mentioned either, feel free to improvise!

Mighty white pastry recipe

Hogg and Simon say: “We first developed this for a range of topless pies we made a few years back. Inspired by ‘that’ sliced bread of the same name, this is all about sneaking in some healthy wholemeal flour along with the white.”

Makes about 650g (1lb 7oz)

Takes 10 minutes

Rest 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 255g (9oz) strong white bread flour
• 130g (4½oz) plain wholemeal flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 125g (4½oz) salted or plant-based butter
• 100ml (3½fl oz) water
• 25g (1oz) Parmesan or plant-based hard cheese, finely grated
• 10g (¼oz) poppy seeds

Method

In a large bowl, mix the flours with the salt and bicarbonate of soda, then rub in the fat with your fingertips until there are no lumps. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the cold water.

Mix and knead the dough and, as it starts to come together, add the Parmesan and poppy seeds.

Transfer the pastry to a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or wrap in reusable wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before using it. It can be kept in the fridge for a few hours in an airtight container or wrap and freezes well.

Flour tip: This pastry is good for making cold-eating pies, savoury tarts and quiche. If you’d like to experiment with other flours such as rye or spelt, swap out half of the wholemeal flour. You may need to add a little extra water too. Try this with other seeds as well if you’re feeling adventurous.

Hogg and Simon say: “Sweet little buttery, nutty, sticky treats with hints of the Middle East. Perfect for afternoon teas and picnics, washed down with a cup of tea.”

Ingredients

• ½ portion of patty pastry (see recipe below)
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• Plain flour, for dusting

For the filling

• 3 tablespoons runny honey (local is always best)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 130g (4½oz) unsalted butter
• 300g (10½oz) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
• 120g (4¼oz) caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom
• Water
• 60g (2¼oz) ground almonds
• 200g (7oz) shelled pistachios, blitzed in a blender to the same texture as the almonds
• 2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
• Salt
• Crème fraîche swirled with orange zest, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Gently heat 1 tablespoon of the honey with the cinnamon and 10g (¼oz) of the butter. Toss the pumpkin pieces in the mixture and spread on to an oven tray. Sprinkle with a little salt and roast for 15 minutes until browning at the edges. Set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7.

Meanwhile, make the frangipane. Whisk the remaining butter and the sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in two of the eggs, then gently fold in the orange blossom water, almonds and blitzed pistachios to create a smooth batter.

Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the patty pastry to 3mm (1/8in) thick. Cut out eight circles about 12–15cm (4½–6in) wide; we used a side plate to cut around.

Stir the cooled pumpkin into the frangipane. Spoon the pumpkin mixture on to the bottom half of each pastry circle, leaving a 2cm (¾in) border clear around the edge. Brush the edge with the beaten egg, then fold the top half over and press the edges together with a fork, making sure it’s completely sealed.

Put the patties on the prepared tray and brush the tops with beaten egg. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Mix together the chopped pistachios and the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey. When the patties are cooked, brush them with the honey mixture. Serve with crème fraîche swirled with orange zest.

Patty pastry recipe

Hogg and Simon say: “Our version of a Jamaican patty pastry, we get the gorgeous golden colour from saffron, rather than the traditional turmeric. A great plant-based pastry that’s super-simple to work with.”

Makes 650g (1lb 7oz)

Takes 10 minutes

Rest 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 teaspoon saffron strands
• 130ml (4½fl oz) ice-cold water
• 380g (13oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3g salt
• 135g (4¾oz) plant-based or salted butter

Method

Start by adding the saffron to the water. Then, in a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt, and rub in the fat with your fingers until there are no lumps.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the cold saffron water.

Use your hands or a table knife to start mixing the dough and, as it starts to come together, tip it out on to a floured work surface and knead it for a further 2 minutes.

Transfer the pastry to a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or wrap in reusable wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before using. You can leave the pastry to rest in the fridge for a few hours and it also freezes well.