I AM pleased to announce I had to de-ice my car this morning for the first time. Whilst my Facebook feed is awash with other commuters bemoaning the arrival of the coldest day of the year so far, for me this is a key signifier of one important thing. Winter is here!

This has particular foodie resonance for me as the arrival of winter means it is the season of comfort food.

Indeed, dark and cold nights call for a few key ingredients that are guaranteed to make the winter blues that bit more bearable.

Close your eyes for a second and think of the following; complex carbohydrates, silky and rich sauces, woody herbs, an excuse to put bacon in everything and crispy, flaky pastry…and now try and tell me that you don’t feel happier and warmer already?

These ingredients culminate in one clear choice, which is of course a pie.

For pastry-lovers, there is one special watering hole in North Oxfordshire that truly celebrates our national affiliation with the humble pie. Puddingface, a small pub in the village of Deddington, has a whole menu dedicated to gourmet pies.

This little boozer has all the classics (think steak and kidney or beef and ale) as well as a few more exotic choices.

Exotic is my bag, so my order there has been the same for years – a jerk chicken puff topped pie oozing with reggae reggae sauce.

If you prefer to savour the joys of a pie from the comfort of your own home during these winter months, then my recipe for this sausage, sage and squash pie is sure to be a seasonal winner.

INGREDIENTS: 1 large sheet of ready rolled puff pastry, 1 egg (beaten), a big handful of fresh chopped sage, pork stock, five rashers of smoked back bacon, three large shallots, two large garlic cloves, diced butternut squash, a dollop of crème fraiche, a generous capful of cider vinegar, a large squeeze of brown sauce, a pack of sausage meat, a knob of butter and two teaspoons of flour.

METHOD:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees and douse your diced butternut squash in lots of olive oil, black pepper and sea salt. Roast until crispy (35/40 minutes or so) and then remove from the oven and set aside.

• In a pan or under the grill, crisp up the diced bacon rashers and also set aside.

• Dice the shallots and garlic, and soften these in a large skillet with plenty of butter. Add your chopped sage to this mixture as well as the sausage meat. Season this and fry off until the sausage meat is well browned.

• Add the flour to this and fry the whole lot together for about two minutes. Next add the stock. The amount you add depends on your preferences, but I would keep going until the sausage mixture has been enveloped by a gravy like sauce.

• Now add the brown sauce, cider vinegar and the crème fraiche, butternut squash and bacon. Give the pot a stir and taste test - you can add more seasoning/vinegar/sage/brown sauce if you prefer.

• Take off the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so. Place a chilled puff pastry lid on top of the skillet and crimp the edges to secure the lid in place. Decorate with additional puff decorations and egg wash the entire top.

• Put the pie in an oven at 200 degrees until the pastry is crispy, flaky and golden. This may be about 20 minutes or so. You are then free to enjoy your pie.