SERVES 4
500g short crust pastry
(see page 248, make a
double quantity)
few knobs of butter
2 large onions, peeled
and chopped
few thyme sprigs, leaves
stripped
sea salt and black pepper
800g potatoes, such as
Desiree or Maris Piper
200g traditional mature
cheddar, such as
Montgomery, grated
1 large egg yolk, beaten
with 1 tbsp water,
to glaze
142 PIES AND SAVOURY TARTS
Montgomery cheddar
and potato pie
This rustic, free-form pie is ideal if you do not have a pie tin
to hand. It makes a great vegetarian lunch, especially if
you serve it warm from the oven, accompanied by buttery
greens or a side salad.Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan a nd add the onions, thyme and
some seasoning. Sweat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for
6-8 minutes until the onions are soft.Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into 5m m thick slices. Add to a
pan of boiling salted water and blanch for 3- 4 minutes until they are
just tender when pierced with a knife. Drain thoroughly and place in
a wide bowl. Leave to cool, then mix in the or ns, cheese and a
generous pinch each of salt and pepper.Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Divide the pastry into two pieces,
one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry
on a lightly floured surface to a circle, about the size of a 25cm dinner
plate. Lift onto a baking sheet. Roll out the other portion of pastry to
a circle, about 5cm larger in diameter than the previous o ne.Roughly layer the potato and cheese filling in the middle ofthe pastry
round on the baking sheet, leaving a 3-4cm border. Try to stack the
potato slices up against each other so that the pie will have a nice
shape and somewhat straight sides. Brush the border with the egg
glaze. Drape the other pastry round over the top and press down the
edges to seal, taking care not to leave large air pockets in the filling.Crimp the edges, then brush the pastry with egg glaze. If you wish,
sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 45-55 minut es until the pastry
is golden brown. Rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.