Preheat the oven 220C/ Fan 190C/ Gas Mark 5.

Place half of the sliced apples into a bowl and cover them with the lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Place the remaining half of the apples into the shallow casserole and cook over a medium heat on the hob until the apples are soft. Once the apples are cooked leave them to cool.

Next make the pastry by placing the flour, sugar and butter in a bowl and rub the ingredients together to form breadcrumbs.

Add the egg yolk and water to the mixture, then use a knife to bind the pastry together.

Knead the pastry into a flat disc, wrap in clingfilm and then place into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Once the pastry has finished chilling preheat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/ Gas Mark 6 with a baking tray in the oven.

Take 2/3’s of the pastry and place it onto a floured work surface. Roll out the pastry into a 27cm circle and place the circle into the base of the shallow casserole. Brush the edge of the pastry with some water, the pastry should slightly over hang the edge of the casserole.

Place the uncooked apples in the base of the pastry case and then place the soft, cooked apples ontop followed by the frozen cherries. Roll the remaining pastry out to approximately 16cm wide x 24cm long and then cut the pastry into 16 x 1cm long strips.

Place the strips on top of the pie creating a lattice effect. Seal the edges down by squeezing them together and then trim away any excess pastry.

Brush the top of the pie with the egg white and then sprinkle with the tablespoon of caster sugar.

Place the pie into the preheated oven on the warmed baking tray and bake until the pastry is crisp and the fruit is soft. This should take approximately 45-50 minutes.

Cook's Notes

Substitute the apples and cherries for any seasonal fruits, for example pears or plums.

Add in 50g of walnuts or hazelnuts, this will add a lovely crunch to the pie.