Paul Hollywood Cheese And Onion Pie Food

CARAMELISED ONION QUICHE WITH CHEDDAR & BACON

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan, add the onions and cook for 20 mins, stirring now and then, until they are soft and golden brown. Season, stir in the thyme leaves, then transfer to a plate to cool.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a large baking sheet inside. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until large enough to line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin, with a little overhang of pastry all the way round the top. This will stop the pastry shrinking in the oven later. If there is more overhang than you need, trim off the excess with scissors. Gently press the pastry into the sides of the tin and prick the base with a fork. Chill for 15 mins.
• Line the pastry case with a sheet of baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans. Bake for 15 mins on the hot baking sheet (this helps to prevent a soggy bottom). Carefully remove the parchment and beans, then return to the oven for 10 mins more until the pastry looks cooked like shortbread, but is not too brown.
• Meanwhile, put the bacon in the pan you cooked the onions in (there's no need to wash it first or add any oil) and fry for 10 mins until golden. Lift from the pan onto kitchen paper to remove any excess fat. Beat the cream, milk and eggs with seasoning and nutmeg, then stir in the bacon and half the cheese.
• Remove the pastry case from the oven and reduce heat to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Spoon the caramelised onions evenly over the base of the pastry case. Pour in the bacon mixture, then scatter with the remaining cheese, the thyme sprigs and a little nutmeg. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and the filling is just set with a slight wobble in the centre.
• Trim the excess pastry and leave to settle for 10 mins, then remove from the tin and slice.

HOMITY PIE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, tip both the flours, a pinch of salt and the cayenne, if using, into a large bowl. Mix, then rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in the egg and 1 tbsp cold water using a cutlery knife. Bring the pastry together into a ball, then cover and chill for 30 mins. Knead briefly until pliable, then roll out until it's large enough to line a 20cm deep pie dish. Line the dish, pushing the pastry into the edge, then trim. Chill until needed.
• Meanwhile, for the filling, heat the butter in a large saucepan until sizzling and cook the onions with some seasoning and the leeks and thyme, if using, for 12-15 mins until soft and sticky. Stir the potatoes into the onion mix, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes break down when pressed with a wooden spoon. Pour over the cream, stir for a minute, then turn off the heat and leave to cool a little.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Stir half the cheddar and most of the spring onions through the potato and onion mix. Scatter half of the remaining cheddar over the base of the pastry case, then tip in the tip filling. Scatter with the rest of the cheese and spring onions. Bake on the hot baking tray for 40-45 mins until the pastry is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 10 mins. Serve hot, or leave to cool until just warm.

EASY CHEESE & ONION SLICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Boil potatoes for 15 mins until tender, then drain well and smash a little. Cool slightly.
• Mix the cheese, cayenne and onions with the smashed potatoes and stir to make a mouldable filling. Roll out the pastry to a rectangle about 25 x 35cm. Carefully lift onto a baking sheet and brush all over with beaten egg.
• Press the cheese mix along one of the long sides of the pastry, leaving 2cm pastry free on one side for sealing, and half of the pastry empty on the other side for folding over later. Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges together, before trimming with a knife and sealing well by pressing the edges with a fork.
• Brush with egg and bake for 30 mins. Cool, then slice and serve with caramelised red onions. Can be made 1 day ahead

CHEESE & ONION PIE

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Tip the flours into a medium bowl with the cayenne, onion seeds, parmesan and a generous pinch of salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then pour in half the egg and 2 tbsp cold water and bring everything together using your hands. Knead a couple of times until smooth. Flatten a third of the dough into a disc, then do the same with the remaining dough. Wrap both pastry discs and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until sizzling, then scatter in the onions, bay, thyme, a large pinch of salt and good grinding of black pepper. Stir, then cook slowly for 10 mins until the onions have cooked down and started to caramelise. Stir in the sliced potatoes, cover and cook for 8-10 mins more, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft and starting to break down. Stir in the cream, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, remove and discard the bay, then fold in the cheese.
• Roll the smaller pastry disc out on a lightly floured surface to the size of a dinner plate and lift onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Roll out the remaining pastry disc along with any offcuts to a circle about 5cm wider than the first. Spoon the filling into the middle of the smaller circle on the baking sheet, leaving a 4cm border. Brush the exposed border with some of the remaining beaten egg, then drape over the larger pastry circle. Tuck the edge around the filling to enclose it, as if making a giant ravioli. Trim the edge to neaten, then crimp with a cutlery knife handle or fork to seal. Brush the pie all over with most of the remaining beaten egg, and use any trimmings to make decorations, if you like.
• Heat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 7. Bake the pie for 35-40 mins until deeply golden, brushing with the rest of the beaten egg halfway through. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for at least 20 mins before cutting into wedges, or leave to cool completely and serve cold.