Last week was actually British Pie Week so, being big pie fans chez H is for Home, we just had to get involved! We went for the vegetarian variety and decided upon a local, Lancashire favourite – butter pie.
It’s my meal of choice when we get a take away from Grandma Pollard’s, our local chippy. It’s a very humble pie – 😉 – the filling consists of few, very affordable ingredients – potatoes, onions and of course lashings of butter. There are free-to-pick herbs planted all around Todmorden courtesy of Incredible Edible, so we added a bit of fresh thyme too. I’ve not made it before but it proved a very quick & easy dish… and utterly, butterly delicious!
It’s a real celebration of simple ingredients. We served it with stir fried greens, drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar – pickled cabbage is another traditional accompaniment.
Butter pie
Ingredients
- For the pastry
- 115 g/4oz plain flour
- 25 g/1oz butter
- pinch of salt
- pinch of white pepper
- Ice cold water 2-4 tbs
- For the filling
- 2 medium potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward
- 1 medium onion
- 25 g/1oz cold butter made into curls using a peeler
- 50 g/2oz butter for softening the onions
- sprig of thyme woody stalks removed
- 4 tbs milk
Instructions
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl
- Add the butter incorporating using your fingertips or pastry blender until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
- Add just enough cold water to make the pastry form a ball
- Put the pastry ball into a plastic bag (or wrap in cling film/Saran wrap), press out the air and refrigerate for half an hour
- Peel the potatoes and onion, slice the potatoes a little thicker than a pound coin, and the onion into half rings
- Parboil the potatoes until just soft but still holding their shape (8-10 minutes)
- Sweat the onions and thyme over a low heat in the butter until soft. Stir regularly so that they don't stick to the base or colour
- Roll out two thirds of the pastry and use to line a 20cm/8inch diameter round pie dish
- Trim the edges using a sharp knife around the circumference
- Drain the potatoes into a colander/large sieve and allow to cool
- Once cool, layer the potatoes, onions and butter curls into the lined pie dish. Season with salt and white pepper
- Using a pastry brush, brush around the edge of the pastry with the milk
- Roll out the remaining third of the pastry (also using the trimmings from the base if necessary) and carefully lift it over
- Using your fingers or a fork, press the edges of the top & bottom layers of the pastry together
- Remove any excess pastry lid with a sharp knife
- Make a few holes in the pie top to allow steam to escape
- Brush the remaining milk over the top of the pie
- Bake at 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 for 30 minutes until golden brown on top
- Slice & serve immediately