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Pork works particularly well in stir frys, especially when flavoured with fresh ginger and chopped apple. It's great in pies too, particularly if have time to cook the pie filling the night before it's needed to allow the herbs time to infuse their flavour. I suggest short crust pastry for this pie, as it will absorb some of the juices during cooking. Puff pastry might look attractive, but it doesn't have the absorbent powers of short crust.

YOU WILL NEED: 8oz (225g) home-made short crust pastry 1lb (450g) diced pork One large apple One large onion - chopped quite fine One clove garlic -- chopped fine 100 ml water or chicken stock Small bunch of herbs chopped fine Vegetable oil Flour to dust pork One beaten egg Salt and freshly ground black peppercorns.

METHOD: Make the pastry and allow to rest in cool place.

Remove any fat from diced pork, dust diced pork generously with seasoned flour and fry in a small amount of oil until the pieces begin to brown.

Chop half of the apple into small dice having removed the core and skin, and add to the pan along with the onion and garlic.

Allow the mix to cook for a few moments, then spoon into a casserole dish.

Pour the water/stock into the frying pan, bring to the boil, stir to mix in all the tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, season lightly and pour over the pork mix with the chopped herbs.

Place a lid on the casserole dish and cook in a low oven (160C/325F or gas mark 3) for at least an hour and a quarter, or turn the oven lower and cook a little longer.

When the pork is tender, remove casserole from oven, allow pork to cool a little, or store in the refrigerator overnight.

Turn the oven to 200C/400F or gas mark 6.

When the casserole is cool enough to handle, cover with pastry topping, and decorate by slicing the remaining apple thin and inserting the slices into the pastry in an attractive circle.

Brush with egg and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until a delicious golden brown.Pork works particularly well in stir frys, especially when flavoured with fresh ginger and chopped apple. It's great in pies too, particularly if have time to cook the pie filling the night before it's needed to allow the herbs time to infuse their flavour. I suggest short crust pastry for this pie, as it will absorb some of the juices during cooking. Puff pastry might look attractive, but it doesn't have the absorbent powers of short crust.

4:01pm Wednesday 26th March 2008

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