My adapted Grandma's cheese and potato pie recipe. The recipe came from the days when she would help with the baking to feed her brothers and sisters. Crispy pastry with a tasty cheese and potato filling, comfort food for empty tummies. This is a recipe that can be pre-made and frozen.
Equipment; 20cm pie dish
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Pie filling:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 4 medium leeks
- 600g potatoes
- 50g butter
- 50 ml double cream
- 125g grated Cheddar cheese
- 50g Parmesan
- Season with salt and black pepper
For the pastry:
- 150g butter or baking fat
- 250g plain flour, a little extra for rolling out
- 2-4 tbsp icy cold water
- 1 egg beaten with a bit of salt
Method:
- Before starting, freeze the pastry butter for a good hour.
- Sieve the flour and a little salt into a bowl and grate in the butter. Work the butter into the flour using your fingertips. Keep gently shaking the bowl to bring the large lumps to the top. Once you have fine bread crumbs, add the cold water and mix with a knife until it forms a dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes or until you are ready with the filing.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into similar size pieces. Place in a lidded pan, cover with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt and bring to boil; lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain and cover the pan with a tea towel to steam the potatoes.
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a deep frying pan and add the sliced leeks and onion. Season well and cook on high heat for 2 minutes, then cover with a lid or foil, lower the heat and cook for further 10 minutes or until they are soft but not brown. Then add the garlic and thyme leaves and cook for a further minute.
- Remove the pan from heat and add 125g of the two kinds of cheese. Season with salt and pepper, leave to cool. Finally, mix in the potatoes. Taste to see if the seasoning is correct.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge, cut the pastry ball into two, roll out the first pastry ball on a floured surface to fit the dish, use your rolling pin to transfer the pastry, press it into the bottom of the dish, prick with a fork. Make a top a similar size. Fill the dish with the potato mixture, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, wet the pastry edge with egg wash, and top with the pastry lid. Crimp the edges and cut off the excess. Add a hole in the centre to let the steam out when baking.
- Egg wash the pie lid and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the pie cool for several minutes before serving.