WITH pies as popular as ever in pubs (apparently more than half of us will consider a pie when we're eating in our local) we thought you might like to try your hand at pie making at home.

These hearty, home-made recipes come courtesy of Jus-Rol pastry.

Fish Pie

1 ready rolled puff pastry sheet

454g/1lb fresh cod OR undyed smoked haddock or cod

250g/8oz fresh salmon

250ml/pt milk

1 onion

2-3 cloves

Good bunch parsley

50g/2oz butter

40g/1oz flour

125ml/14pt single cream

Beaten egg for glazing

Make filling by skinning fish and placing in a pan with onion studded with the cloves, few springs of parsley and the milk.

Cover, bring to boil and simmer gently to poach fish for approximately 15 minutes or until fish just cooked. Strain and reserve liquor, flake fish, removing all bones and place in a 1 litre/2pt pie dish.

Chop parsley and gently saute in melted butter for 3-4 minutes, gradually stir in flour and then fish liquor and single cream. Bring to boil and simmer until thickened, season to taste and pour over fish, allow to cool.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 200C (180o for fan assisted) 400F/Gas M 6. Roll out pastry, cut strips long enough to form a border around pie dish rim and stick to dish with beaten egg. Brush pastry border with beaten egg, over dish with pastry and trim off excess, press edges together to seal, knock up and flute if desired.

Make a steam hole in centre and brush whole with beaten egg, then make fish shapes from pastry trimmings by cutting out discs and then using cutter to make 2 bodies and 2 tails from each disc. Arrange on top, brush again and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until pastry golden brown.

Turkey, Ham and Vegetable Pie

1 x 500g pack All Butter Shortcrust pastry

1 large onion - peeled and chopped

1-2 tbsp oil

3 medium carrots - peeled and chopped

454g /approx 1lb cooked turkey - diced

225g/8oz cooked ham - diced

Scant 500ml/1pt turkey or chicken stock

1 rounded tbsp flour

3tbs cream or crème fraîche

Salt and black pepper

Heat oil in a large pan, gently sauté the onion and carrot until just tender, sprinkle in the flour and then gradually add the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring all the while.

Add the turkey and ham and season to taste, then allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 200C (180C for fan assisted ovens) 400F/ Gas M 6.

Place the cooled filling in four individual pie dishes, divide pastry into four equal pieces and roll out each large enough to top one pie dish. Brush rims with beaten egg, lay rolled out pastry over dish, trim off excess and press edges firmly down to seal. If desired use trimmings to make leaf decorations.

Bake 20-25, minutes serve hot.

Rhubarb, Orange and Ginger Pie

Rhubarb marries very well with both ginger and orange and this recipe brings them all together. It is worth splashing out on stem ginger as this imparts a really good flavour and is available in jars from most grocers, delis and supermarkets.

500g All Butter Puff pastry

Beaten egg white

500g /1lb rhubarb, washed and cut into 2cm/1" lengths

Juice and rind of 1 orange

150g/6oz golden caster sugar

2 "globes" of stem ginger, diced, and 2tbsp syrup

Preheat oven to 220C (200 for fan assisted) 425F/Gas 7.

Combine chopped rhubarb with 100g/4oz of the sugar, the juice of the orange and the ginger plus syrup.

Place in a pie dish or other ovenproof dish with a rim. Combine grated rind with remaining sugar and put to one side.

Roll out pastry large enough to cover dish with some to spare, cut off strips to form a border on pie dish rim. Brush the rim with beaten egg white, press strips on to rim, then top whole dish with remaining pastry to form a lid.

Trim off excess, knock up and flute edges and make 2-3 slits in top of lid.

Brush top with beaten egg white and sprinkle with the sugar and orange rind mixture, bake for 20 minutes or until pastry risen and golden brown.

Apple Pie

1 x 500g pack All Butter Shortcrust pastry

1 kilo cooking apples

Juice and rind 1 lemon

1 tbsp flour

2tsp ground Cinnamon

100g /4oz caster or soft, light brown sugar

Little more sugar for dredging

Preheat oven to 200C (180C for fan assisted ovens) 400F/ Gas 6.

Divide pastry in half and roll out one half to line a 20cm/8" shallow pie plate. Put to chill while you prepare the apples.

Peel, core and thickly slice the apples, toss with the lemon rind and juice, the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Pile into the pastry base.

Roll out remaining pastry and use to top the pie, using trimmings for decoration as desired - we cut out rounds of pastry with a small cutter and then added stalks to give an apple' motif.

Brush with water and dredge lightly with remaining sugar, bake for 20-25 minutess until pastry is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.