BEST EVER CHEESE AND ONION LAYERED PIE

NOT A BIG GIRLS DIET...

WoW, what a winner winner dinner for the whole family, this simple gorgeous layered rich gooey cheese and onion pie with a hidden hint of buttery mashed potatoes encased in light crispy flaky old fashioned pastry was outstandingly good I will have to limit how often I make this as my family woofed this down and wanted more, more. more!

Prep time 30 minutes  / Oven un-attended cook time 45 minutes 

Ingredients

(serves family 4 in my case 3!)

Old Fashioned Pastry

450g plain flour

120g cold lard

120g cold butter

1 generous pinch sea salt

100-150ml ice cold water

Pie Ingredients

4 lrg potatoes

50g butter

pinch sea salt

pinch ground black pepper

4 white onions roughly sliced

500g old mature vintage cheese grated

2 sprigs thyme

100ml chicken stock

pinch sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

This pastry will yield two pies, therefore when you make the pastry cut in half and wrap one half in parchment and either keep in the fridge for use in the week or freeze for another time.

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees, peel and place your rough chopped potatoes in a pan of simmering water to boil for twenty to thirty minutes until fork tender then drain and mash with butter, salt and pepper, reserve to one side to cool down, meanwhile make the pastry, place the flour in your bowl or mixer and using a whisk fluff up and remove any lumps, this is the same a sieving, add the salt then the butter and lard, rub together roughly, you want large rubble not a breadcrumb consistency, this is what will create the flaky lift in your pastry, add the water and just bring together to a rough ball, press flat and wrap in parchment paper, pop in the fridge for twenty minutes or so to chill and rest while you prepare the filling.

Place the coconut oil and onions in a pan and gently soften the onions for ten minutes, add the chicken stock, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh thyme and reserve to one side to cool.  Grate the cheese and place to one side.

Roll out 2/3 of your pastry in to a circle, reserving the rest for the pie lid.  Take your tin and grease the sides, place the pastry base in your greased tin and gently push into the sides, now take your cooled ingredients and layer, first put a thin layer of mashed potato on the base, then a third of the softened onions, followed by a generous handful of the cheese, repeat with onions and cheese and finish with a final thin layer of mashed potato, top the pie with the pastry lid, lightly score the lid in a lattice pattern and brush with either milk to be authentic, I did as the war time attitude was why waste an egg, or brush with egg wash for a more golden crispy finish.

Bake in your pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for approx 40-45 minutes until golden brown, take out and leave to slightly cool for 15 minutes, now this hard especially when not making this for the first time, as you know how good this is going to be, but it is sort of important, this is a pie that needs to be warm not piping hot for its best presentation and taste.