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For the pastry

  • 250g plain flour
    plus extra for dusting
  • 50g rye flour
    (or make up the weight with plain flour)
  • large pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1tsp onion seeds
  • 25g parmesan
    or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
  • 125g cold butter
    cubed
  • 1 egg
    beaten

For the filling

Nutrition: Per serving

  • kcal417
  • fat26g
  • saturates17g
  • carbs34g
  • sugars5g
  • fibre4g
  • protein10g
  • salt0.6g

Method

  • step 1

    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.

  • step 2

    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.

  • step 3

    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.

  • step 4

    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.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2021

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Comments, questions and tips (5)

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Overall rating

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.6 ratings

Pixie04

This recipe proved to be a little challenging, in particular the pastry was a little dry so I had to add more egg and water to be able to roll it out. Also I was a bit unsure about not using a pie tine. However, results were excellent, lovely pastry, tasty filling, and it worked fine without the a…

debbiecarroll1964

I made this pie last night and it was a huge success. I was a little sceptical about not using a tin or a plate but it worked amazingly well. My husband raved over this pie. Sometimes you just need to believe in the recipe even against your instincts.

berylbirkett

tip

If you’re short of time, use a pack of Lidl sliced potatoes in cream ( potato gratin)to make the filling and add the cheese and onions to the mix before making the pie; Also great made with suet pastry! I use vegetarian suet.

lakeside_foulridge avatar

lakeside_foulridge

question

What did I do wrong. I am an experienced cook, following the recipe but after 20 mins the potatoes were still not soft. Need some water to steam. Disappointing

goodfoodteam avatar
goodfoodteam

Hi, thanks for your question. The potatoes don't ned to be cooked after 20 minutes, just starting to soften and break a little; the rest of the cooking will happen in STEP 4 when you bake the pie. Some tips are to make sure the potatoes are quite thinly sliced and be sure to add a lid to the pan…

reevey

question

Hi all, could I use an enamel pie plate instead of baking parchment and if so, are there any changes I need to make to the baking time ?

goodfoodteam avatar
goodfoodteam

Hi, thanks for your question. Yes you could use an enamel pie dish - just make sure it's a shallow one and about the equivalent size if a dinner plate (any smaller/larger and/or deeper then it will still work but the cooking times will need adjusting). We hope this helps. Best wishes, BBC Good Food.

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