Description
Creamy Welsh cheese leek and potato pie delights with rustic charm and hearty comfort. Rich layers of local ingredients blend perfectly, offering a warm embrace of traditional British culinary magic you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Pastry:
- 125 grams (4.4 ounces) butter, frozen
- 125 grams (4.4 ounces) vegetable fat, frozen
- 350 grams (12.3 ounces) plain flour
- 1 egg, beaten
Filling Vegetables:
- 2 small leeks
- 1 onion
- 450 grams (15.9 ounces) potatoes
Filling Sauce and Cheese:
- 60 grams (2.1 ounces) butter
- 600 milliliters (20.3 fluid ounces) full-fat milk
- 50 grams (1.8 ounces) flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 50 grams (1.8 ounces) mature cheddar
- 50 grams (1.8 ounces) Parmesan or hard cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Gently sauté leeks and onions in butter until translucent and softened, releasing their delicate flavors.
- Meanwhile, simmer potatoes in salted water until just fork-tender, ensuring they maintain their structural integrity.
- Sprinkle flour over the sautéed vegetables, creating a base for a velvety sauce, then gradually incorporate warm milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
- Allow the sauce to thicken and develop a rich, creamy consistency, stirring consistently.
- Fold in sharp mustard, grated cheese, fragrant thyme, and cooked potatoes, seasoning generously with salt and pepper.
- Let the filling cool completely, allowing flavors to meld and mixture to set.
- Prepare pastry by swiftly grating frozen butter and shortening into flour, binding with ice-cold water and creating multiple delicate layers through strategic folding.
- Refrigerate pastry for at least 30 minutes to relax gluten and firm up fats.
- Roll out chilled pastry to desired thickness, carefully lining a pie dish with smooth, even coverage.
- Pour cooled filling into pastry shell, ensuring even distribution.
- Top with remaining pastry, crimping edges decoratively to seal and create an attractive finish.
- Brush surface with beaten egg for a glossy, golden appearance.
- Bake in preheated oven at 220°C for 40-45 minutes until pastry turns a deep, burnished golden brown and filling bubbles tantalizingly.
Notes
- Slice leeks into thin rings for even cooking and better texture distribution throughout the pie.
- Precook potato chunks slightly firmer to prevent them turning mushy during final baking process.
- Experiment with different cheese varieties like sharp cheddar or gruyère for richer flavor complexity.
- Consider adding crispy bacon bits or ham for extra protein and depth if wanting a non-vegetarian version.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg