Haggis pasties

Makes 5 Starters and mains

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Method

Line two baking trays with baking paper. To make the pastry, mix the flour with 1⁄2 teaspoon fine salt in a large bowl. Add the lard and butter and rub in lightly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Using a round-bladed knife, stir in just enough cold water (around 90ml) to make a firm dough. Knead gently into a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

To make the filling, place the onion, swede and potato in three separate bowls. Remove the haggis from its casing and crumble into a fourth bowl.

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/Gas 6. Dust the work surface with flour and divide the pastry into 5 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a round, around 3mm thick, and cut out a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide.

Scatter a thin layer of swede over half of each circle, leaving a 1cm margin. Add a similar layer of potato, season lightly, then top with onion. Repeat the swede and potato layers, seasoning as you go and checking that the pastry will still fit over the top to encase the filling. Top with a layer of crumbled haggis. Add a final layer of onion, season once more and dot with butter.

Brush the pastry border of each pasty with beaten egg, then fold the pastry over the filling, so the edges meet. Press these together firmly and crimp by pinching the pastry edge all round between the thumb and forefinger. Put the filled and sealed pasties on the prepared baking trays. Cut 2 slits in the centre of each pasty and brush the tops with the remaining beaten egg.

Bake the pasties for around 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature of the oven to 170C/ 325F/Gas 3 and bake for a further 30 minutes until golden brown. The pasties are best eaten warm.