Shena's sausage and apple pie

This is another recipe from my aunt Shena. It's good comfort food when the weather is cold and apples are plentiful. I can remember eating it at her house as a child of ten. Her cooking seemed so exotic to me at the time. Now that we live in a house with an apple tree, this is a recipe that comes in handy.

Oven temperature

180C and then 220C/grill

Ingredients

Crust:

You can either use (shortcrust) ready pastry or make your own with
250ml flour
100g butter, melted
Pinch salt

Filling:

450g pack of sausage meat/sausages
Medium onion, finely chopped
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Pinch of sage

Topping:
3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
A little milk
60ml grated cheese (sharp cheddar is best)

Method

• Because potatoes take a fair while to cook, it's best to get them going first. Boil the potatoes until soft. While this is happening, you can get on with the other steps.
• If you're using ready pastry, line a pie dish and bake the crust blind in accordance with the package instructions. If you're making your own (and it's dead easy, honest), sift the flour and salt, then add the butter.
• Mix until you have a manageable dough.
• Press into a pie plate and prick repeatedly with a fork until there are holes all over the place.
• Bake at 180C for about 10-12 minutes until it begins to turn golden, then set aside. While it's baking, you can get on with the next bit.
• If you're using sausages, squeeze out all the meat. If you're using sausage meat, you're a step ahead of the game. Place the meat into a frying pan with the chopped onion, apple and sage and fry until done, turning, mixing and blending the ingredients as you go. I don't use any oil - there is enough fat in the sausage meat.
• Spread the meat mixture over the pastry base.
• Mash the potatoes with a little milk until you have an easily spreadable, soft mash.
• Spread over the sausage meat.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Pop into the oven at 220C for about 10 minutes.
• If necessary, pop under the grill to brown up that cheese topping.

Serve hot with vegetables of your choice.