Cranberry-topped raised pie

1. Stage

If you want to make your own stock: put the chicken and pork bones in a pan, add 600ml water (or enough to just cover) and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 mins, then strain and continue cooking to reduce the liquid to about 300ml. The bones will add natural gelatine to the stock so it should set without additional gelatine. But if you want to make sure, add 1 leaf following the method in step 10.

2. Stage

Mix together all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and season with 1½ tsp salt. Now make the pastry. Pour 150ml water into a saucepan, add the lard and ½ tsp salt, and bring to the boil. Once the lard has melted, remove from the heat.

3. Stage

Meanwhile, sift the flour and 1 tsp salt together into a large bowl. Pour over the hot liquid and stir vigorously to form a dough.

4. Stage

Tip onto your work surface and knead for a couple of mins to develop the gluten slightly and create an even-textured pastry. (Once made, keep covered with cling film.)

5. Stage

Remove roughly one-third of the pastry and set aside to make the lid later. Roll the remaining pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. You’ll need a 20cm-deep springform cake tin to assemble the pie in.

6. Stage

Line the cake tin with the pastry, pushing it well into the corners and up the sides of the tin (use a small ball of dough to do this). Leave any excess hanging over the top of the tin.

7. Stage

Add the filling to the pie, packing it tightly – this will expel any air pockets and create a nice flat top for the cranberries to sit on later.

8. Stage

Roll out the reserved pastry to the same thickness and lift it onto the pie to create a lid. Press into the pastry around the edges and trim off any excess. Crimp with 2 fingers if you like. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg. Cut a hole in the centre to let the steam out as it cooks. You can now chill it for up to 24 hrs or cook straight away. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

9. Stage

Bake for 30 mins, then reduce heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for another 1 hr 45 mins. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the pie should be 75C. If not, insert the end of a spoon into the centre of the pie and hold it there for 10 secs – it should be hot to the touch.

10. Stage

Place the tin on a wire rack to cool, then remove the pie. If you have a blowtorch, blast it around the outside of the tin before removing the pie – this melts the fat sticking the pastry to the tin, making it release more easily. Alternatively, leave the pie at room temperature for 20 mins before removing the tin. Warm the stock and put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften for 5 mins. Squeeze out any drops of water, then add the gelatine to the stock, stir in until dissolved, and season well. Transfer to a jug.

11. Stage

If there is no gap between the pastry and meat, you'll need to poke a skewer into the hole and wiggle it around to create space for the stock. Pour two-thirds of the stock into the central hole (use a piping nozzle as a funnel, if you have one), or as much as you can, but reserve about 4 tbsp for the topping. Chill for at least 2 hrs.

12. Stage

Dissolve the sugar with the sherry over a low heat. Once dissolved, bring to the boil and add the cranberries. Cook for 1-2 mins, but remove from the heat before the cranberries burst. Leave to cool. Once the stock in the pie has set to a jelly, top with the cranberries. Melt your remaining jellied stock in a saucepan over a low heat, then use it to brush the cranberries generously. Return to the fridge for 1 hr to set the topping. Enjoy within 3 days.