Leek Cheese Pie Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling., Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp tea towel. Trim stems; quarter or slice large mushrooms., In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add leek; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan., In same pan, heat remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 4-6 minutes or until tender and liquid has evaporated. Stir in leek, salt and pepper. Cool slightly., Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese onto bottom of crust. Top with mushroom mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and cream until blended; pour over top., Bake on a lower oven rack until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and cheese, and warm through. Pour mixture into pie shell
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until custard is set and golden on top. Allow to sit 10 minutes before cutting pie into wedges.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the potato slices for 3 mins. Drain and allow to cool.
• Butter a shallow ovenproof dish and spread over the garlic. Layer the potatoes, leeks and cheese, season well, then pour over the cream. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hr.
• Remove the foil and continue cooking for 20 mins or until the top is browned and the potatoes are cooked through. Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

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.

Steps:

• For the pastry, put the flour in a food processor with the butter, mustard and thyme leaves, and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 4-6 tbsp cold water and pulse again until it forms a ball. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• For the filling, break the cauliflower into small bite-sized florets (keep the leaves for stock or roast until crisp and serve alongside the pie), and chop the stalk into 2cm pieces. Steam in a steamer or steamer basket set over a pan of simmering water for 8-10 mins until the stalk pieces are just tender, but not cooked through. Remove from the steamer and leave to cool and steam-dry on a plate.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until softened. Add a splash of water if they start to turn lightly golden and cook until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
• Cut off a third of the pastry and set aside. Roll out the rest on a floured work surface to a round large enough to line a 25cm wide and 7cm deep pie dish (enamel pie dishes work well for this). Line the dish and set aside.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl with some seasoning. Reserve a little of the beaten egg in a small bowl, then fold the cheese, cauliflower and leeks into the remaining egg. Tip the filling into the pie dish and spread out evenly. Roll out the remaining pastry and use to cover the pie, using some of the reserved egg to seal it to the edge. Crimp the edge and trim any excess, then chill for 20 mins.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 45 mins until golden and crisp on top. Stand for 10 minutes before serving with roast potatoes.

Steps:

• Bring the milk, bay and peppercorns to a simmer in a large shallow pan. Drop in the haddock, turn off the heat, cover with a lid or foil and leave to cool for 30 mins - the haddock will be just cooked. Carefully remove the haddock and set aside on a plate, then strain the milk through a sieve into a jug. To prepare the haddock, remove the flesh from the skin, making sure all bones and spices have been discarded - the fish should break into natural bite-sized flakes. Set aside until needed.
• Heat the oil and a small knob of butter in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 15 mins. Add the leeks and continue cooking for 2 mins. Drain in a colander and leave to cool.
• In the same pan, melt the 75g butter, then stir in the flour to form a paste. Cook for 3-4 mins without colouring, then slowly ladle in the warm milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until you have a glossy sauce. Stir in the mustard poweder, lemon juice and some seasoning, then pass through a fine sieve.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To assemble the pie, place the leeks in the bottom of a 1.6-litre pie dish (about 22cm) and top with a third of the sauce. Follow with the flaked smoked haddock and another third of the sauce. Finally, scatter over the cheese and top with the remaining sauce, making sure the filling is completely covered.
• For the filo crust, melt the butter in a small pan, then add the garlic. Heat gently for 5 mins to allow the garlic to infuse. Lay one sheet of filo on a chopping board and brush all over with the garlic butter, then sprinkle with some chives and cracked black pepper. Place another sheet of pastry on top at a slight angle and repeat. Continue in this way until you have used up all the pastry and almost all the garlic butter. You should have created a jagged-edged pastry circle. Lay this on top of the pie dish, then use a sharp knife to trim the edges, but still leave an overhang. Brush with a final layer of butter, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 40 mins or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve with the Charred Baby Gem, watercress & bacon salad (see recipe, Goes well with).