“An old traditional recipe from the county where the AGA is made!  There are several theories on the word ‘fidget’ – it could mean five-sided or slang for apple.  Although the original recipes use shortcrust pastry, I found puff pastry also gives a good appearance and texture – the choice is yours!”

Ingredients
Serves 4

•    500g (1 lb 2 oz) Shropshire potatoes, finely sliced
•    2 onions, sliced
•    2 Bramley apples, peeled and sliced
•    2 slices of unsmoked, or green, gammon, cut into strips
•    55g (2 oz) butter
•    Salt and black pepper
•    Grating of fresh nutmeg
•    100ml (3½ fl oz) stock or cider
•    225g (8 oz) shortcrust or puff pastry
•    Beaten egg to glaze


Method

Sauté the potatoes, onions and apples in the butter, using a wide frying pan, until softened.  Remove from the pan and fry the strips of gammon for 2-3 minutes.  Place a layer of the potato mixture into a 1 litre (1¾ pint) pie dish, then season with salt (amount depends on the saltiness of the gammon), black pepper and nutmeg, and add the gammon.  Continue to layer until the ingredients are used up.

Pour on the stock or cider.  Roll out the pastry and cover the pie dish, use the trimmings to make a pattern on the top.  Make a steam vent in the centre.  Glaze with a beaten egg.

2, 3 and 4 oven AGA: Place the pie on the grid shelf set on the floor of the roasting oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until golden.  Protect with the cold plain shelf if the pastry is browning too quickly.

Serve with green vegetables and steamed carrots.

Conventional cooking: Cook at 200°C (400°F), fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6 for 25-30 minutes until golden.