Welsh Leek Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the leeks by cutting off the roots, the coarse green leaves and the damaged outer layer. Run under the tap to get rid of the dirt and grit. Slice them into a colander and rinse again. Cook them gently in the butter till soft.
• Line a shallow pie dish with a layer of pastry, and turn the leeks and the ham (chopped small) on to it.
• Mix cream and eggs well together. Season with salt and plenty of pepper and strain into pie dish. Cover with a pasrty lid, and brush with milk.
• Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350F oven.
• This pie tastes better warm than hot. If you prefer a flan, just cook without the pastry lid.

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:

• 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:

• 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:

• Clean leeks well and chop in 1-inch pieces.
• Boil chicken broth and lemon juice, rind and butter.
• Add leeks and cook uncovered 12 to 15 minutes.
• Beat together cheese, cream and eggs until creamy and well blended.
• Add 1/2 cup cooking broth while stirring.
• Add to cooked leeks and simmer until thickened (light cream sauce).
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Grease pie plate. Dust with bread crumbs. Line with pie crust.
• Flute edges. Pour in leek mixture. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes until golden and custard is set.

Steps:

• In a saucepan melt the butter and sweat the leeks without browning for five minutes on a medium heat until soft and buttery. Add the cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for a further five minutes. Put onto a tray to cool.
• In a bowl add the ground pork, leeks and season. Mix well and then divide into four balls. Cover with plastic wrap and put into the fridge until needed.
• To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Bring the water and lard to the boil in a saucepan then stir it into the flour with a wooden spoon to form a smooth dough. Divide into four portions and leave the pastry for 10 minutes to cool.
• Lightly grease each individual pie pan. Place it on a baking tray.
• Take two thirds of each quarter of pastry and on a lightly floured table, roll it to fit the pie pan and overlap the edge. Carefully press into the corners and allow it to just hang over the edge. Roll the remaining pastry into an circle for the lid. Repeat this process with the remaining portions of dough.
• Fill each pie with the pork filling. Brush the pie edges with egg wash and place the lid on top. Pinch the lid edge and the top of the pastry edges together with your thumb to crimp the pie and create a seal. Trim the edge with a knife so no pastry is hanging over the edge.
• Pre-heat an oven to 350°F Brush the top of each pie all over with beaten egg yolk, make a hole in the middle of the pastry lid and cook for one hour.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Once the pie is cold, refrigerate for two to three hours.
• Follow the instructions for the gelatin and add to the stock to make a firm jelly and refrigerate. Once the pie is cold, check around the pastry for any holes and fill them with softened butter so that the jelly doesn't escape. Take the jelly/stock from the fridge, remove the layer of fat from the surface and gently reheat to melt the jelly. Pour the stock into the round hole in the top of the pastry until the pie is filled. Cool in the fridge until the jelly is set.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Whizz butter and flour in a food processor. Add 2 tbsp water and pulse to a ball.Wrap the dough in cling film and chill.
• Heat the grill to high, brown the sausages for 5 minutes. Fry the leeks in the butter for 2- 3 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Take off heat and stir in the milk. Season, add the mustard and bring to the boil, stirring.
• Cut each sausage in five at an angle and pile into a 1.2 litre dish. Stir the parsley into the leek sauce and pour over.
• Roll out the pastry and cut out a shape 2.5cm larger than the dish.Re-roll trimmings to make a 2.5cm strip. Brush the rim of the dish with water and lay the strip on top. Lift the rest on top, press to seal and crimp edges. Bake for 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F, 180C; lightly grease an 8 inch pie or flan dish.
• Place the bread crumbs, ground almonds and walnut pieces in a food processor and 'pulse' together until the walnuts are chopped small and an even crumb mixture is achieved; with the processor running slowly, pour the olive oil then the water down the feeding tube; process until the ingredients are well mixed and start to ball together as a 'dough'.
• Spoon the mix into the pie dish and using the back of a spoon, press the mix evenly over the base and up the sides; bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust starts to brown.
• Meanwhile, clean and slice the leeks (I like them cut in half lengthways then sliced 1/4 inch thick); in a large pan, cook the leeks gently in the oil, until they are just tender; spread the leeks evenly over the baked base.
• Next make a white sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and mix well together (a balloon whisk is great for this); slowly add the milk and keep stirring until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble; season the sauce.
• Pour the white sauce over the leeks then sprinkle the cheese over the top; return the pie to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling.

Steps:

• Rewarm your mashed potatoes, set aside and keep warm.
• Melt half the butter in the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat add bacon and saute until just beginning to crisp and brown.
• Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside , keep warm.
• Add leek to pan with sugar and salt and pepper.
• Preheat boiler while leeks gently saute until soft and caramelized. Careful not to burn.
• Return bacon to pan and mix evenly.
• Pour mixture into pie 9" plate and spread evenly.
• Melt remaining butter and add to potatoes, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
• Spoon potatoes evenly over leeks and bacon and smooth top.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Place pie under broiler until top is nicely brown. Rotate if necessary to brown evenly.
• Serve in a wedge with pie server with a side of pickled beets or ligonberry sauce on the plate.