I will make this for my mum

Sometimes it is good to have a flick through supermarket magazines. I refuse to pay for them but I will happily steal recipes. Luckily Charlie is the same and with his uber-phone stealing of recipes is almost too easy. I stick to the old fashioned methods (i.e. try to remember and write it down the moment there is some paper around you!) but sometimes being modern can be useful.

This is a not so modern pie - it has things that you all know and if you don't like any of the ingredients alreay this recipe won't covert you. It is as much about leek as it is about stilton. And when you get cooking make sure you do bake it for 40 minutes. Trust the pastry and don't get paranoid after 20 minutes when it looks vaguely ready. If you want a crispy bottom let it wait. 
 

Leek and Stilton pie

about 500g potatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 leeks, chopped
200g stilton
~350g puff pastry
butter
salt, papper and thyme

1 egg yolk or some milk for glazing

 

Preheat the over to 200C.

Start with making mash potatoes. Chop the potatoes into cubes and boil until soft. When they are ready drain them add a bit of salt and, if you wish, milk. Mash them until smooth and set aside.

Put a knob of butter with a touch of oil in a frying pan and add the onion. Fry it on medium heat for a couple of minutes and add leeks. Fry for further 10 minutes until leeks become soft. Add thyme to taste and season with salt and pepper.

Roll out the pastry into a greased pie dish. Make sure you have some pastry hanging around the edges, so you can make the pie look cool by covering it with the excess pastry. Spoon the mash on the bottom of your pie dish (onto the pastry!). Crumble the stilton on the mash and then add the cooked leek on top of the cheese. Fold the remaining pastry on top and glaze with an egg yolk or some milk.
Bake for about 40 minutes until the pie is all crispy and golden brown. The cheese will melt beautifully and it will all go really well with a glass of red wine and some simple salad. Enjoy!

(plus it makes great lunch next day as it can also be eaten cold)

Lack of inspiration

My mum once made this pie when she "lacked inspiration". I wish food like that came out of my struggles for culinary creativity. I can't claim this recipe but I can still enjoy it and spread the word about it. It's a perfect meal to serve your guests in the summer - it's quick, easy and a bit more exciting than a standard, boring pasta which is the first thing you think of when you lack inspiration.

Olives and Feta Pie

1 onion, chopped finely
200g feta, crumbled into medium size pieces
150g pitted, black olives, chopped in half (and drained)
400g chopped, tin tomatoes*
rosemary, thyme **, salt and pepper

some cherry tomatoes, halved

500g puff pastry
(and a 18cm diameter pie dish, greased)
some milk or egg yolk to glaze the pastry

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees
Roll out the pastry and put it in the pie dish. Pierce it with a fork a few times to help the air get out (the pastry will not puff uncontrollably). Bake for about 10 minutes and then put aside to cool.

In the meantime fry the onion in a sauce pan with the herbs, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, bring to boil and let it simmer until it thickens a bit - it should take about 10-15 minutes. When it's done add the feta and the olives and stir well. You can add some halved cherry tomatoes to the sauce at this stage. Pour the sauce onto the pastry and fold the sides on top of the pie. Glaze it with a brush soaked in some milk or egg yolk. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

(* I used dry herbs but the pie is even nicer with fresh ones. If you feel like making it a bit more italian you can also add some basil)