Valencian chicken pie

Method

Make the filling first. Soak the saffron in a splash of boiling water. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil gently in a heavy pan and fry the potato and onion for 2-3 minutes, until they soften a little. Add the wine, saffron, a ladleful of chicken broth and the diced chicken, then bubble everything up. Sprinkle in the thyme, turn down the heat, cover and simmer till the potato is perfectly soft and the cooking liquid has almost evaporated, adding more broth if needed. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the spinach in a closed pan with a tablespoon of olive oil in the water  which clings to the leaves - 2-3 minutes - until they collapse. Drain thoroughly in a colander, pressing to extract all the liquid.

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven) gas mark 4.

Now make the pastry. Sieve the flour with the salt. In a small pan, heat the oil, wine and 100ml water till just bearable to your finger. Pour the liquid into the flour and knead to an elastic dough. Cut off two-thirds and roll it out to fit a non-stick baking-tin - mine's 20cm square and 4cm deep. Roll out the remaining pastry as a lid, and reserve.

Ease the larger sheet over the base and sides of the tin without stretching, trimming it to leave a finger-width of rim. Spread the pastry with half the potato filling, top with the spinach and quartered hard-boiled egg, and finish with the remaining potato. Dampen the rim, cover with the pastry lid and seal the edges together with a fork. Make a hole in the top to let out steam, and brush with egg.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and brown. Serve at room temperature.