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bramley apple and sausage pie

8 October 2015 by Dominic Franks

… so i’ve started working with a personal trainer.  It’s been nearly 3 months now and I see him twice a week.  It’s one of those things that i’ve felt i’d always wanted to try because i’m pretty terrible at self-motivation and my tired old bones need a lot of work.  I feel pretty good about the whole thing and incredibly for me I’m actually keeping up the work and looking forward to each session… we meet stupidly early, outdoors in the local park, whatever the weather and train really really hard… it feels a little bit like i’m having a secret affair as each session ends with me out of breath and very sweaty but of course it’s nothing of the sort.  What’s interesting about it is that i’m learning all kinds of things about what my old body is capable of… and what it’s not quite ready to do yet.  There are some sessions where I absolutely hate him and then other sessions where I hate myself and i’ve been through the calf strains and the fudgy knee but i’ve come out the other side feeling renovated and ready for anything. There’s still a long way to go but I have to say that I’m well and truly pleased with myself… the only thing I really need to do now is sort out the eating habits… oh well, these things need to be approached one pie at a time I feel…

bramley apple and sausage pie with cheddar pastry
the good people at Bramley Apples have been in touch and asked a bunch of us fortunate food-bloggers to develop some recipes over this next year, to promote the deliciousness and versatility of the humble and iconic Bramley…   We’ve been growing and eating the Bramley exclusively in the UK for over 200 years and because it contains a higher acid content and lower sugar levels than most other apples it produces a stronger, tangier taste that retains its flavour when cooked.  It also has that wonderful ‘melt in the mouth’ texture which is truly unique to the Bramley.  This also makes it the perfect bed-fellow for the good old sausage as the tanginess counteracts the juicy fattiness of the sausages whilst the sweet caramelised onions balance the whole pie into pure perfection!

The other bloggers taking part in the campaign are Maison Cupcake, Lavender and Lovage, A Mummy Too, Little Miss Katy and Chelsea Mama and we’ve been given 3 months each during the forthcoming year, with Sarah from Maison Cupcake and I posting recipes in the same months so hopefully we’ll be showing you how to use the wonderful Bramley in a glut of creative ways, so please do look out for our posts.

I am kicking off this campaign with this stunning pie because it just so happens to be Bramley Apple Pie Week on the 12th – 18th October.  Not that one needs a special occasion to bake a pie but it’s a nice excuse to celebrate…

for the shortcrust cheddar pastry
200g plain flour
75g slightly salted butter
25g strong cheddar cheese – finely grated
a little cold water to mix

for the filling
6 sausages – i’m using some traditional Lincolnshire sausages
3 large bramley apples – peeled and cut into large wedges
1 large onion – peeled and thinly sliced
plenty of fresh thyme (lemon thyme will work wonders here)
a glass of white wine
butter and olive oil

i’ve used a 20cm fluted flan dish but any pie dish would work

pre-heat the oven to 170C

start with the pastry – sieve the flour into a large bowl and then rub the butter into it using your fingertips.  Once you have something resembling the texture of breadcrumbs mix in the grated cheese – again with your fingers

add a little cold water – i’d say roughly 4 tablespoons – and start to bring the dough together.  I use a round knife to start and then get in with the hand in a claw-shape – bring the dough together until the bowl is dry – add more water if you need to but only a drop at a time

flatten the dough out into a large circle, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins whilst you make the filling

pop your sausages into a roasting tin and roast gently for 10 mins until they have started to cook through and colour a little – then set aside

heat a little butter and olive oil in a pan and throw in the sliced onions, stir around, tuen the heat down and let the onions gently simmer away for about 15 mins, stirring regularly, then turn the heat up, throw in a teaspoon if sugar and the thyme and let the onions simmer again for another 15 minutes, again stirring frequently.  The onions should start to colour nicely.  Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate and cook again for another 15 minutes and you should now have nicely golden onions – set aside

halve your pastry and then roll out the first half into a large circle and line your pie tin, prick with a fork and line with parchment and baking beans, then cook for 10 mins just to start the pastry off

remove from the oven and remove the baking beans and now it’s time to build your pie… lay in your sausages, apple wedges and onions – i’ve gone for a fanned out circular method but you can be as random as you like

roll out the raining pastry for a lid, seal the edges with a little beaten egg and milk and create some pastry leaves then brush the top with the egg wash mixture

bake for 20 mins or until the pastry is golden

i’m linking this pie to the lovely Pastry Challenge, hosted by United Cakedom and Jen’s Food

eat and of course, enjoy!

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Filed Under: Everything else Tagged With: apples, Bramley Apple Pie Week, bramley apples, caramelised onions, cheddar, cheese pastry, lincolnshire sausages, onions, pastry, pie, sausages

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Comments

  1. Mark Willis says

    8 October 2015 at 5:22 pm

    Now that looks like a PROPER pie! Better than all this cakey stuff… Bit unsure about where to get “brambly” apples though! 🙂

  2. Tina Vesić says

    8 October 2015 at 5:36 pm

    The pie looks super delicious 🙂
    And a personal trainer is always a good idea, it makes it easier to keep track of the progress 🙂

  3. Charlene Flash says

    8 October 2015 at 6:45 pm

    Your pie looks absolutely amazing, a perfect way to use apples. Happy training too 🙂 x

  4. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says

    8 October 2015 at 9:27 pm

    Dom, I woke up this morning thinking of apples and pastry, then I came here and found this lovely savory pie! Must go down to my favorite meat shop and pick up some sausages!

  5. helen says

    8 October 2015 at 10:06 pm

    oh man, that's a beauty of a pie!

  6. Stuart Vettese says

    8 October 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Good for you Dom – my exercise has been non-existent of late. I am going to use you as inspiration- loving the pie. Made cheesy shortcrust myself once – it is amazingly good.

  7. Elizabeth@ Pine Cones and Acorns says

    9 October 2015 at 2:05 am

    Keep up the good work with the trainer!

    This loks so good!

  8. Jane Willis says

    9 October 2015 at 4:58 am

    All that good work means you can afford to eat gorgeous stuff like this – that pie looks stupendous!
    Jane

  9. Amber Harding says

    9 October 2015 at 11:06 am

    I like this combination – it's savoury! The apple's sourness matches quite well with the rest of the ingredients.

  10. Karen S Booth says

    9 October 2015 at 11:49 am

    A FABULOUS way to start the Bramley Apple Year off Dom and as you know, I am a BIG pie fan!

  11. Jean says

    10 October 2015 at 11:06 am

    We are also great fans of the two crust pie – this looks fabulous, a great combination of flavours – can't wait to try it.

  12. Galina Varese says

    10 October 2015 at 7:09 pm

    Gorgeous pie! Never thought of putting whole sausages in a pie. Wonderful combination of flavours and textures.

  13. Tricia Buice says

    10 October 2015 at 8:54 pm

    Dom this is fantastic. You are such a wonderful baker. I can only imagine how great this tastes. When I read the recipe and the part noting “a glass of wine” I wondered if it goes in the pie or if you drink it while baking – I could do both!

  14. Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

    10 October 2015 at 9:21 pm

    Bramley's are definitely the best cooking apples. And they pair so well with sausage. Love the addition of the cheese pastry. All sounds delicious Dom!

  15. Susan Lindquist says

    11 October 2015 at 1:00 am

    What a great plan for better health, Dom! Good for you getting out there and getting sweaty! I wish I had the fortitude and the budget to go the personal trainer route! I only have a friend that kicks my butt to walk walk walk …even when I don't want to!

    As for this picture perfect pie! LA-DE-DA! How pretty and how wholesome!

  16. Choclette Blogger says

    11 October 2015 at 2:12 pm

    I wish you'd stop going on about your old body – makes me feel ancient. Love, love, love this pie of yours and adding cheese to the pastry can only make it even better.

  17. Sarah Trivuncic says

    17 October 2015 at 6:16 pm

    Mmmm I love a good sausage pie, this looks marvellous and I am totally craving pastry with cheese in it now.

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About Dom In The Kitchen

My name is Dominic, I am a cook, food writer and creative event producer. I write the food blog Dom In The Kitchen and also write a monthly recipe column for Lincolnshire Life Magazine and Good Taste Magazine. I also run creative event production company The Persuaders, producing global events for brands since 1997. I am based both in the small village of Belleau in Lincolnshire and the smaller village of London! Read More…

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