Ingredients

Method

• 200 g sweet potato, cubed
• 2 T olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 50 g butter
• 4 leeks, sliced
• 6 green apples, peeled and cored
• 750 g smoked ham
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 kg pastry (see cook\\\'s note)
• 2 free-range egg yolks

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Toss the sweet potato with 1 T olive oil and season. Place on a baking tray and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and caramelised.

Meanwhile, place the remaining olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan, and gently cook the leek, apples and ham with the thyme over a medium to low heat for 10 minutes. Add the stock and potato, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season and set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry in two separate rounds, about 3 cm thick. Grease a circular, 25 cm spring-form cake tin and line the inside with one round of pastry. Press down to cover the base and sides. Add the filling and cover with the remaining pastry.

Using a cookie-cutter, cut out shapes from the remaining pastry and arrange on the pie. Beat the egg yolks, adding a drop of milk to dilute if necessary, then lightly brush the surface of the pastry with the egg mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and crisp. Allow to cool before carefully removing from the cake tin.
Cook's note: Click here for a perfect shortcrust pastry for this recipe