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Leek and Potato Pie

Introduction & method

Try this flavour-packed savoury vegetable pie. It's delicious.

Leek and Potato Pie Recipe

Make the Pastry


Of course you can buy ready-made pastry - get shortcrust if you do. Or make your own - it's really not hard. Mix together the salt and flour in a large bowl. Grate the cold butter into the bowl and rub it into the flour with your fingertips. It should look like coarse sand when you're done. Stir in cold water a little at a time. You only want enough water to make the dough come together as a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic film and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Make the Filling


Peel the potatoes and cut them into dice about one centimetre (half an inch). Place them in a pan of salted water, bring it to the boil, then turn it down to a simmer and cook the potatoes until just tender - about ten minutes. Drain and set aside.
Finely chop the onion and the carrot. Melt a knob of butter in a heavy-bottomed pan, stir in the onion and carrot and get them fully coated in butter. Turn the heat down low, put a lid on the pan and let the veggies sweat for ten minutes. Remove them from the pan. Melt 50 grams of butter and stir in an equal amount of flour. Cook it gently for a minute until you have a smooth paste then stir in the milk. When it's warm and the sauce has thickened, add the onion and carrot, the potatoes and the thinly-sliced leeks. Add the thyme and sage, taste the sauce and add salt and white pepper if you think it needs it. Cook the filling for five more minutes then set aside to cool.

Assemble the Pies


I made two pies in Fray Bentos pie tins measuring 15cm (6 inches) diameter and 3½cm (1½ inches) high. Obviously you can use whatever pie tins you have available. Sprinkle flour on your worktop and roll out two pastry discs to be the lids. The pastry should be 4-5mm (about a quarter of an inch) thick. Invert a pie tin and cut the pastry around the edge. Set the lids aside and roll out two more discs, larger this time, to form the cases. Flip them into the tins and trim off any excess pastry around the rim. Spoon filling into the cases, moisten the rim of the case with water, put a lid on and press it onto the case to seal it. You may do any kind of crimping you fancy. Paint the lids of the pies with eggwash (an egg beaten together with a splash of milk).

Bake the Pies


Heat your oven to 180°C (356°F) for a fan/convection oven or airfryer, 200°C (392°F) conventional, gas 6. Place the pies on the middle shelf and bake them for 30 minutes, turning them round halfway through.



The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Leek and Potato Pie on YouTube.

 

Ingredients & Info


SHORTCRUST PASTRY
 400 grams plain (all-purpose) flour
 half a tsp salt
 200 grams cold unsalted butter
 200 ml cold water
FILLING
 450 grams leeks
 450 grams potatoes
 1 small onion
 1 small carrot
 100 gram (divided)s unsalted butter
 50 grams flour
 1 tsp thyme
 1 tsp sage
  salt and white pepper to taste
 250 ml milk

PLUS

1 egg and a splash of milk for glazing.


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Makes 2 x 2-person pies
Prep time: 15 minutes.
Pastry resting time: 30 minutes.
Cooking time: 45 minutes.
Total time: 90 minutes.