Moroccan chickpea and feta pie (pictured above)

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4
20ml light olive oil, plus extra to spray
2 spanish onions, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
1 tsp ras el hanout
1 tsp harissa paste
200g tinned (ie, ½ tin) chopped tomatoes
1 x 280g jar marinated chargrilled peppers, drained and sliced
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
150g feta, broken into 2cm chunks
½ bunch mint, picked and roughly chopped
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, picked and roughly chopped
5 filo pastry sheets
Sea salt
Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onions and garlic, and saute gently for 15 minutes, until soft.

Add the ras el hanout and harissa, cook for a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes more, until the sauce has thickened. Add the peppers and chickpeas, season to taste, then leave to cool a little.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Gently fold the feta, mint and parsley into the cooled pie filling, then spoon into a large ovenproof dish or tagine.

One at a time, lay the filo sheets on a board, lightly spray all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange the oiled filo sheets on the top of the filling, scrunching them up for added texture and height, then bake for 20 minutes, turning the dish once at the halfway mark, so the filo cooks and colours evenly.

Keema-spiced cottage pie

This is a quick mash-up of British and Indian classics in a single dish. It’s an absolute family favourite at the Franklins.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
2 red chillies, finely chopped
500g beef or lamb mince
350g tinned chopped tomatoes
300g frozen peas, defrosted
6½ tbsp (25g) coriander, leaves picked

For the topping
1kg peeled potatoes, cut into chunks
150ml milk
80g unsalted butter
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 egg yolk

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 10 minutes, until it starts to brown. Add the turmeric, garam masala and cumin, toast for two minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli, and saute for five minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Add the mince, saute until any liquid has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add the peas and coriander, adjust the seasoning to taste, then spoon into a 24cm round ovenproof pie dish, level the surface and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes, until soft in the centre, then drain. Add the milk, butter and turmeric, then mash together. Finally, fold in the egg yolk and mix to combine.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Spread the mashed potato over the mince mixture, and ruffle the surface with a fork for added texture.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the beef mixture is bubbling up the sides of the dish and the topping has a crisp, golden crust, then serve immediately.

Red onion, carrot and hazelnut tatin

A pretty meal of balanced flavours, with the tarragon lifting the earthiness of the carrots and onion, and the balsamic providing a little acidity to counteract the sweetness. It can be served for lunch or dinner, and also makes a knockout vegetarian side dish for a big spread. Be careful when flipping over the pan at the end of the cooking, and remember to use a cloth on the handle, because it will have just come out of the oven.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 2–3

3 red onions
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp fine table salt
30g whole blanched hazelnuts
15g butter
15g caster sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
150g shop-bought puff pastry (or homemade rough puff
¾ tbsp (10g) tarragon leaves, put in iced water

Heat the oven to 230C (210C fan)/450F/gas 8. Peel the onions, cut them in half through the roots, so they stay intact, then cut each half into four wedges, again through the root.

Put the carrot chunks and onion wedges in a large roasting tray, toss with the vegetable oil and salt, then spread over the base of the tray. Roast for 30 minutes, until the vegetables start to colour, then add the hazelnuts and roast for five minutes more.

Meanwhile, in a heavy, ovenproof frying pan, warm the butter, sugar and balsamic vinegar until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil and cook until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the roast vegetables and nuts to the pan, toss in the syrup to coat, then set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a 1cm-thick circle large enough to cover the frying pan. Bunch the vegetables and nuts in the centre of the pan, so there is a 2cm gap all around the edge, then cover with the pastry, and slightly tuck it under the filling all around the edge. Prick the pastry all over with a fork.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and golden. Taking care to protect your hands with a heatproof cloth, remove the pan from the oven, place a large, flat plate on top and quickly flip it over. Dress with the iced tarragon leaves and serve warm.

Hot and sour curried cod pie

Breaking through the flaky pastry on the top of this pie releases all the curry aromas at the table. The cod is interchangeable with any firm-fleshed, white fish, such as hake or coley, and the tamarind can be swapped for the juice of half a lime. This pie is a complete meal in itself, so I wouldn’t serve it with rice, but if you can’t have curry without it, then I’m not going to stop you.

Prep 25 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Serves 2–3

400g skinless, boneless cod fillet, cut into 2cm dice
Sea salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 spanish onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp hot curry powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
6 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp tamarind paste (or lime juice)
5-6 tbsp (20g) coriander, stalks and leaves roughly chopped
300g shop-bought puff pastry (or homemade rough puff pastry)
1 pinch fennel seeds
1 pinch black sesame seeds
1 medium egg beaten with 1 tbsp water

Sprinkle the cod all over with sea salt, set aside for 15 minutes, then rinse in cold water, pat dry and refrigerate.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan for a minute over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are well cooked and starting to colour. Add the garlic and chillies, cook for a minute, then stir in the dry spices and cook for five minutes more. Add the tomatoes and tamarind, cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the coriander and leave to cool.

Once cool, add the cod to the filling mixture, then spoon into a shallow, ovenproof dish that just holds everything.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a 1cm-thick disc. Brush the outer lip of the dish with a little egg wash and lay the pastry on top, pressing it against the egg-washed rim. Trim to leave a 2cm overlap, brush the pastry with the remaining egg wash, and sprinkle over the fennel and sesame seeds and a touch of sea salt. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Bake the pie for 25 minutes, until golden, and serve. I like this with steamed broccoli tossed in a little butter and sprinkled with toasted almonds.

• These recipes are an edited extract from The Pie Room, by Calum Franklin, published by Bloomsbury Absolute at £26. To order a copy for £22.62, go to guardianbookshop.com.