SAUSAGE, APPLE AND SAGE PIE

SAUSAGE, APPLE AND SAGE PIE image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 3/4 cups flour
Pinch salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
1/4 cup lard or shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely sliced
1 pound good-quality sausage meat or ground pork (half standard grind, half coarse grind)
1 tablespoon each: whole-grain mustard, chopped fresh sage
2 small apples, peeled, cored, chopped
2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten

Steps:

Sift flour and pinch of salt into a bowl. Cut fat into cubes; add to flour. Use your fingertips to rub fat into the flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water very gradually, stirring with a knife. When dough just starts to stick together, knead lightly until it forms a ball. (Or, pulse flour and salt in a food processor. Add cold butter; pulse until crumbly. Add lard and 2 tablespoons water; pulse. Add remaining tablespoon water; pulse again. Turn onto counter; shape into a ball.) Wrap pastry ball in plastic wrap; let rest in refrigerator, at least 15 minutes. (Store for up to 2 days in the refrigerator; or freeze until ready to use.) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out a little less than half the pastry; use to line a shallow 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining pastry about 3/4-inch larger than the pie plate; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions; cook gently until softened, 8-10 minutes. Add meat to onions. Cook until meat is browned, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and breaking up meat, 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in mustard, sage, apples and creme fraiche or sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well; allow to cool.