Triple cheese mac ‘n’ cheese pasty with baconnaise

Start by making the pasty dough. Add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl, then rub in the unsalted butter and lard until the flour becomes a ‘sandy’ consistency

Add in 180ml cold water and bring the mix together, then knead for around 8 minutes until the dough becomes elastic

Cover the dough with cling film in a clean bowl, then leave to rest in the fridge for 3 hours

While the dough is chilling, prepare the triple cheese mac ‘n’ cheese. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente, about 8–9 minutes, while you prepare the roux for the sauce base

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add in the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon until the flour has fully incorporated into the butter

Add in the garlic, mustard and the ground cayenne, then slowly add in the milk in increments, whisking constantly to avoid any clumps forming

Let the béchamel base simmer for around 2 minutes, until it begins to thicken to a consistency that can coat the back of a spoon

Next, add in all three of the cheeses and stir well. Once the cheeses have melted, and the sauce has thickened enough, stir in the pasta and season to taste with salt and black pepper

Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature

Preheat the oven to 165°C fan

Once the pastry has chilled, roll it out and cut into circles around 25 cm wide

Take a few spoons of the filling and add it to the centre of the pasty dough. After lightly brushing the edges with water, fold the pasty in half

Next, crimp the edges together. Using your thumb as a guide, pinch and fold the pastry edge over itself to seal all of the filling into the pasty

Once you have crimped the edge, fold the end corner underneath to fully seal in the filling

Place each pasty on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and brush with egg wash. Bake in the oven for around 50 minutes, until golden brown 

While the pasty is baking, prepare the baconnaise. Heat the oil over a medium heat, then add in the finely chopped bacon

Once the bacon is brown and crisp, carefully strain the oil through a fine sieve into a heatproof container

Top up with additional vegetable oil until you have around 100 ml of bacon-infused oil. Set aside to cool

Add the egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice to a large mixing bowl 

Whisk in the cooled oil, starting just drop by drop, then increasing to a very thin stream, until the mixture has emulsified into a mayonnaise

Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add in the chopped bacon, saving a handful for garnish later on

Once the pasties have finished cooking, lay them out on a plate and serve with the baconnaise on the side, topped with some extra crispy bacon and some freshly chopped chives