To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Slice or cut the butter into chunks, or grate it using the coarse side of a box grater into the flour and blend it in with a fork, pastry blender or your fingers, rubbing any larger chunks of fat until the fat is partially blended in, with some larger chunks remaining (no larger than a blueberry).

Add the water and stir until the dough comes together. Gather it up into a ball, pat into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for half an hour, or up to a few days. (Freeze for longer storage.)

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F. On a lightly floured surface, roll your pastry out to a rough circle about 10-12 inches in diameter—I do this directly on a silicone mat. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the sugar and cinnamon. Spread the mincemeat onto the bottom of the pastry, leaving an inch or so around the edge. Pile the apples on top, arranging and overlapping the slices if you like, and then fold the edge of the pastry over to enclose the fruit, folding it wherever it naturally folds. If you like, dot the fruit with butter, brush the edge of the pastry with milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling and the juices appear thicker, and no longer cloudy. Cool to warm before slicing and serving with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 6-8.