Cheese Onion Leek Potato Pie Food

LEEK, CHEESE & POTATO PIE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add 1 tsp sea salt. Coarsely grate in the cold butter, then use your fingertips to work into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour over the vodka and use a butter knife to mix it in, then pour over 2 tbsp cold water and stir again with the knife. If you need to, add a little more water until it comes together as a dough, about 1-2 tbsp. Lightly knead the pastry to a smooth dough in the bowl, dust lightly with flour and wrap in baking parchment. Rest for at least 30 mins.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into 5mm- thick slices and put them in a lidded saucepan. Cover with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt, bring to the boil with the lid on, then lower to a simmer and cook for 8-10 mins until just tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry.
• In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil, bay leaf and butter together over a medium heat, then add the leek and onion. Season well and add a good grating of nutmeg. Cook, stirring, for 8-10 mins, until softened. Add about 100ml water, and cook until most of it has evaporated. Discard the bay leaf and stir in both the mustards and parmesan. Set aside to cool. Butter and flour a 20cm round pie dish.
• Roll ¾ of the pastry out on a lightly floured surface in a circle larger than the pie dish, then line the dish. Roll the rest into a large circle for the lid and chill both for 10 mins. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Spoon a layer of the leek mixture into the lined dish, grate over some cheddar and top with a layer of potatoes and the melting cheese slices. Repeat the layering until you have filled the pie dish - press down to compact it.
• Brush some of the egg around the edges, top with the pastry lid and crimp together. Egg wash the lid, scatter over some sea salt and cut two slits in the lid. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden.
• Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 mins, then slice and serve with a watercress salad, if you like.

CHEESE, ONION, LEEK & POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced (200°C normal)/350°-375°F/4-5 gas mark.
• Heat a little oil in a heavy-based - preferably non-stick - pan and gently sauté the onions, spring onions and leek until softish, stirring now and again; remove the pan from the heat; add the minced garlic and thyme to the pan and mix to combine the ingredients.
• Combine all the tasty cheese with the crème fraiche or sour cream.
• Place several layers of potato in the base of a well-greased round oven dish and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; top with half of the sautéed onions, leek and garlic; add several dollops of the cheese mixture (there is no need to spread this out as the cheeses will spread out as the pie starts to cook and the cheeses melt); repeat these steps, ending with the cheese layer.
• Cut a round of pastry to cover and slightly overlap the dish in which the pie is to be cooked.
• Beat together the egg and milk; brush the outside edges of the dish just below the rim with the egg wash and place the pastry round on top of the pie, overhanging the edge of the dish; press down the sides of the pastry onto the sides of the dish and brush the top of the pie and the overlapping edges of the pastry with the egg wash.
• Cook the pie in the lower part of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
• Serve the pie with a salad greens.

LEEK AND POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and slice thinly.
• Wash the leeks thoroughly and slice thinly discarding about the last 2 inches of the green tops.
• Mix together the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Grease a casserole dish.
• Put in alternate layers of potatoes and leeks sprinkling each layer with the seasoned flour and small chips of butter.
• The top layer should be potatoes.
• Dot the top with butter, pour hot milk on top of the casserole.
• Bake in the oven uncovered (gas 5, 375°F, 190°C.) for about 1 hour.

POTATO, LEEK AND CARROT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C; sauté the onion, garlic and leek in 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a (preferably non-stick) pan until just softened, then allow them to cool; and lightly grease a 4-5-cup capacity ovenproof dish.
• Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Transfer the mixture into the prepared ovenproof dish; add the (optional) grated parmesan (if using) and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden; cut into slices and serve with salad greens.

DEEP-DISH CHEESE, ONION & POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a small bowl, mix the grated cheddar with the crème fraîche, then set aside. Grease and lightly flour a ceramic or metal pie dish, or shallow cake tin, about 23cm wide. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface until large enough to line the tin with a little overhang.
• Place a layer of potatoes over the tart and scatter over some of the sliced onions, spring onions and chunks of cheese. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and paprika. Layer over more potatoes, scatter again with more onions and cheese, then splodge over half the crème fraîche mix. Repeat with 2 more layers (the potatoes will come up way above the pastry), pushing the filling down slightly, then finish with the remaining crème fraîche mix.
• Roll the remaining pastry so it fits over the potatoes. Brush the sides with egg, then lay the pastry over the top. Squeeze the edges together and trim with a knife. Crimp the sides and brush the top all over with egg. Place the pie on a baking sheet, bake for 30 mins, reduce the temperature to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4, then carry on baking for 1 hr until golden. Leave the pie to rest for 10 mins, then serve straight from the dish cut into slices, with a salad or baked beans on the side.

CHEESY LEEK AND POTATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Boil potatoes. Cut leeks into 1 cm slices. Melt 1/2 of the butter in a pan and cook leeks for about 10 minutes.
• Drain and mash potatoes with the other 1/2 of butter, the egg and 3/4 of the cheese.
• Season to taste, stir in the leeks and turn into a large ovenproof dish.
• Top with remaining cheese and bake for about 10 minutes, until golden. Will take longer if you have prepared the dish in advance.

CHEESE, SWEDE & LEEK PIE

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Tip the flours into a bowl and mix with the parmesan, thyme and cayenne pepper. Rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs, then pour in 2-3 tbsp of cold water. Mix it in with a cutlery knife, then use your hands to bring together into a dough - you might need to add a bit more water. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, then split in half, press into two discs - one larger than the other - wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the leek, swede, milk, a large pinch of salt and the bay leaf in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 mins until the swede is tender. Season with black pepper and nutmeg. Strain through a sieve, reserving the milk, and put the veg in a bowl. Using the same saucepan, melt the butter, then add the flour and cook for 2 mins. Slowly pour the milk back into the pan, whisking constantly to create a silky sauce. Stir in the cheddar and wine and stir until it's melted, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of mins before adding 1 beaten egg and the mustard. Season and stir the veg into the mix.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter and flour a 23cm pie dish. Roll the pastry out into two discs, using the large disc first to line the dish. Spoon in the filling, and brush a little of the sauce from the filling onto the edges of the pastry. Press the other disc on top and crimp the edges. Make two slits in the top of the pastry, brush with the remaining egg and bake for 30-35 mins until golden.

CHEESY LEEK & POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Put the leeks, butter and herbs in a pan, cover and cook over a low heat for about 20 mins until very soft, stirring occasionally. While the leeks are cooking, put the potatoes in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 mins until just cooked. Drain the potatoes and stir into the cooked leeks. Leave to cool, stir in the cheese and season with plenty of pepper and salt if you want. The filling can now be chilled for use the following day, if you like.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Divide the pastry in two and roll one of the pieces to the size of a dinner plate. Transfer this to a baking sheet and roll the remaining pastry and any trimmings to a round about 5cm bigger than the first. Pile the filling into the middle of the round on the baking sheet, leaving a 4cm border. Brush the border with the beaten egg, then drape over the larger piece of pastry. Trim the edges to neaten, then press the sides together with your thumb. Brush the tart all over with egg. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden. Leave to rest for 10 mins before cutting into wedges and serving with beans or greens.