Homity Pie

 

MiamMiam

School of Cookery

Homity Pie

Serves 12-16 depending on size of slice

Pastry case

200g plain wholemeal flour

100g unsalted butter

pinch of baking powder

ice cold water to bind

Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder until it resembles breadcrumbs, then gradually add a glug of water and use and round bladed knife to bring the pastry together.

You can use a processor to reach the breadcrumb stage if you prefer – I'd then tip the pastry into a mixing bowl and add the water by hand.

Rest the pastry in the fridge for 30 minutes.

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Bake 6 large jacket potatoes, then cool, peel and dice finely

and place in a large mixing bowl

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500g onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic – finely chopped or roasted

paste

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

salt and black pepper

5 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley – 3 tbsp for the

filling and 2 for the topping – use less if you are

using dried

300g of grated cheese – I use a mixture of mature

cheddar, Gruyere and Red Leicester – 200g for the

filling and 100g for the topping

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil, add to the potatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Add the cheese and parsley, mix thoroughly.

Roll out your pastry and line a greased baking dish measuring 24cms in diameter x 5cms deep.

Tip your potato mixture into the pastry case and pack it down tightly and flat – it will look as if you'll never get all the filling into the case – persevere – you will succeed.

Top with the remaining cheese and parsley.

Bake in a pre-heated oven – 190fan/170c/Gas 7 for 40 minutes – check after 20 minutes.

Alternatively you can make mini homity tarts using the same recipe, you'll get 18, 7cm “cases” - based on a bun tin of a similar size . Roll out the pastry and cut out circles using a straight sided 7cm cutter.

I'd recommend passing the potato through a ricer before adding the remaining ingredients. I'd also suggest using an ice cream scoop – measuring 5cms in diameter – to fill the cases. Press the filling down gently to flatten and garnish and bake as per the original recipe.

Whether you're making the large pie or the individual cases you can make them ahead and freeze. Once you've lined the greased baking dish, freeze until required. Once lined, place the bun tin in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove the tin and ease out the cases, bag and freeze until required.

In the unlikely event that you have any leftover it freezes really well – freeze in individual portions.

Either version of the homity is useful – serve the pie as part of your Boxing Day lunch, or as the centre piece of your buffet. The tarts are a great size for a canapé or serve as a starter warmed with antipasti or garnish with diced chorizo, fried – not forgetting a drizzle of the delicious oil.

By the way ...