Cheese Leek Potato Pide Recipes

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add 1 tsp sea salt. Coarsely grate in the cold butter, then use your fingertips to work into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour over the vodka and use a butter knife to mix it in, then pour over 2 tbsp cold water and stir again with the knife. If you need to, add a little more water until it comes together as a dough, about 1-2 tbsp. Lightly knead the pastry to a smooth dough in the bowl, dust lightly with flour and wrap in baking parchment. Rest for at least 30 mins.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into 5mm- thick slices and put them in a lidded saucepan. Cover with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt, bring to the boil with the lid on, then lower to a simmer and cook for 8-10 mins until just tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry.
• In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil, bay leaf and butter together over a medium heat, then add the leek and onion. Season well and add a good grating of nutmeg. Cook, stirring, for 8-10 mins, until softened. Add about 100ml water, and cook until most of it has evaporated. Discard the bay leaf and stir in both the mustards and parmesan. Set aside to cool. Butter and flour a 20cm round pie dish.
• Roll ¾ of the pastry out on a lightly floured surface in a circle larger than the pie dish, then line the dish. Roll the rest into a large circle for the lid and chill both for 10 mins. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Spoon a layer of the leek mixture into the lined dish, grate over some cheddar and top with a layer of potatoes and the melting cheese slices. Repeat the layering until you have filled the pie dish - press down to compact it.
• Brush some of the egg around the edges, top with the pastry lid and crimp together. Egg wash the lid, scatter over some sea salt and cut two slits in the lid. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden.
• Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 mins, then slice and serve with a watercress salad, if you like.

Steps:

• To make the dough, tip the flour into a bowl, stir in the sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add the yeast, then make a well in the centre and add the oil. Gradually pour in 350-360ml lukewarm water, then combine the ingredients to form a dough. Knead for 5 mins until smooth. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Cut the green ends off the leeks - leave the white ends so they stay together when cooking. Rinse in cold water, then dry and place on a baking tray. Roast for 25 mins, turning halfway through, until the outside is fully charred. Discard the outer layer, but leave a little char for added flavour. Trim the ends, then slice into 2cm rounds. Can be made a day ahead and chilled. Leave your oven on and put in two flat baking sheets (or a pizza stone, if you have one).
• To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then whisk in the flour. Pour in a third of the milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat twice with the remaining two-thirds. Turn the heat right down and cook for 15 mins, whisking occasionally, until it has the same consistency as double cream. Whisk in both cheeses - the halloumi won't melt - and add sea salt to taste. Pour the sauce into a baking tray and allow to cool completely. Can be made a day ahead and chilled.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or heavy-bottomed pan to 160C. Slice the potatoes into approx 1mm slices on a mandolin. Rinse in warm water to remove excess starch, then dry with a cloth. Fry in small batches for 3-4 mins until golden (add the slices one at a time so that they don't stick together). Transfer with a slotted spoon to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper. Season with fine salt.
• To make the pides, knock back the dough on a floured surface, roll into a long sausage shape and cut into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover with a damp tea towel.
• Roll out a ball of dough on the floured surface into a large oval (approx 40 x 15cm) as thick as a 50p piece - it will be very elastic but will roll out eventually. Transfer to a floured baking sheet to assemble the pide.
• Leaving a 3cm border, spread a sixth of the sauce down the centre of the pide. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and oregano, and top with leeks. Fold into a canoe shape, leaving the centre of the filling exposed. Pinch the ends to avoid unravelling when baking, and push down on the dough to ensure that it keeps its shape.
• Slide the pide onto one of the hot baking sheets. Bake for 12 mins until it has a golden, crisp exterior. Meanwhile, assemble the next one and bake on the other hot tray. Continue until all the dough is used up, setting the pides aside when they're done.
• Once they're all baked, reheat them for 2-3 mins, brush the outside with melted butter, arrange a line of potatoes down the middle and sprinkle over the crumbled cheese.

Steps:

• Put the leeks, butter and herbs in a pan, cover and cook over a low heat for about 20 mins until very soft, stirring occasionally. While the leeks are cooking, put the potatoes in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 mins until just cooked. Drain the potatoes and stir into the cooked leeks. Leave to cool, stir in the cheese and season with plenty of pepper and salt if you want. The filling can now be chilled for use the following day, if you like.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Divide the pastry in two and roll one of the pieces to the size of a dinner plate. Transfer this to a baking sheet and roll the remaining pastry and any trimmings to a round about 5cm bigger than the first. Pile the filling into the middle of the round on the baking sheet, leaving a 4cm border. Brush the border with the beaten egg, then drape over the larger piece of pastry. Trim the edges to neaten, then press the sides together with your thumb. Brush the tart all over with egg. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden. Leave to rest for 10 mins before cutting into wedges and serving with beans or greens.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced (200°C normal)/350°-375°F/4-5 gas mark.
• Heat a little oil in a heavy-based - preferably non-stick - pan and gently sauté the onions, spring onions and leek until softish, stirring now and again; remove the pan from the heat; add the minced garlic and thyme to the pan and mix to combine the ingredients.
• Combine all the tasty cheese with the crème fraiche or sour cream.
• Place several layers of potato in the base of a well-greased round oven dish and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; top with half of the sautéed onions, leek and garlic; add several dollops of the cheese mixture (there is no need to spread this out as the cheeses will spread out as the pie starts to cook and the cheeses melt); repeat these steps, ending with the cheese layer.
• Cut a round of pastry to cover and slightly overlap the dish in which the pie is to be cooked.
• Beat together the egg and milk; brush the outside edges of the dish just below the rim with the egg wash and place the pastry round on top of the pie, overhanging the edge of the dish; press down the sides of the pastry onto the sides of the dish and brush the top of the pie and the overlapping edges of the pastry with the egg wash.
• Cook the pie in the lower part of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
• Serve the pie with a salad greens.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Boil potatoes. Cut leeks into 1 cm slices. Melt 1/2 of the butter in a pan and cook leeks for about 10 minutes.
• Drain and mash potatoes with the other 1/2 of butter, the egg and 3/4 of the cheese.
• Season to taste, stir in the leeks and turn into a large ovenproof dish.
• Top with remaining cheese and bake for about 10 minutes, until golden. Will take longer if you have prepared the dish in advance.

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water for 5-8 mins until tender, but still holding their shape. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and thyme and soften for 10-12 mins. Drain potatoes and add to the leeks with the mustard and plenty of seasoning. Stir in the cream and leave to cool a little.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a side plate or a bowl as a template to cut out 6 x 15cm circles. Mix the cheese with the leek mixture and pile a mound of the mix onto the centre of each pastry circle. Brush around edges with a little egg, then bring edges together and crimp with your fingers to seal.
• Place pasties on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, brush with the remaining egg and bake for 40-45 mins until golden brown. Serve warm or leave to cool.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the potato slices for 3 mins. Drain and allow to cool.
• Butter a shallow ovenproof dish and spread over the garlic. Layer the potatoes, leeks and cheese, season well, then pour over the cream. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hr.
• Remove the foil and continue cooking for 20 mins or until the top is browned and the potatoes are cooked through. Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and slice thinly.
• Wash the leeks thoroughly and slice thinly discarding about the last 2 inches of the green tops.
• Mix together the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Grease a casserole dish.
• Put in alternate layers of potatoes and leeks sprinkling each layer with the seasoned flour and small chips of butter.
• The top layer should be potatoes.
• Dot the top with butter, pour hot milk on top of the casserole.
• Bake in the oven uncovered (gas 5, 375°F, 190°C.) for about 1 hour.