Vegetarian mains
Kale, potato and Stilton pie
This easy-to-make pie is a good one for vegetarian Christmases, although you could pop a bit of cooked ham in if you like. It works without, but will taste even better if you replace half the potato with diced celeriac.
Ingredients
- 900g potatoes, or potato and celeriac, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
- 30g butter
- 1 large onion, or 1 leek, sliced
- 250g kale, leaves stripped from the tougher stalks
- 150g Stilton cheese, crumbled
- 2 sheets of ready-rolled all butter puff pastry (you'll need about 600g if buying a block or making your own)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Cook the potatoes (and celeriac if using) in a pan of salted boiling water for about 7-8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and leave to cool.
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Step 2
In a frying pan, add the butter and gently cook the onion for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Leave to cool.
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Step 3
Blanch the kale in a pan of boiling water for 2-4 minutes, depending on the variety (curly kale will need the longest). Drain and plunge into a bowl of very cold water, then drain again and leave to cool. Chop into small pieces and put to one side.
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Step 4
Transfer the potato and onion mixture to a large bowl, then add the Stilton and kale then season and stir gently to combine.
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Step 5
Heat oven to 180°C/Gas 4 and pop a baking tray in to preheat (this will make sure your pastry cooks well on the bottom, rather than being soggy). On a lightly floured work surface, roll one sheet of the pastry out and use it to line a lightly greased deep tin, about 23- 24cm in diameter; a springform cake tin is ideal.
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Step 6
Pile in the potato mixture and press it down into the corners. Use the second sheet of pastry to make a lid for your pie. Trim the edges (saving any leftover pastry to make cheese straws). Seal the rim by bringing the edges together over the top of the pie and roughly crimping with your fingers.
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Step 7
Cut a small triangle out of the middle of the pastry to let the steam out. If you want to be a little creative, use off cuts of the pastry to make shapes to stick on top. Brush the top all over with the beaten egg.
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Step 8
Transfer to the hot baking tray and bake for 45-60 minutes or longer, depending on your oven. Check the pastry; once it's golden brown all over and the sides are just starting to come away from the tin, it's ready. Remove from the oven, leave it in the tin to cool slightly, then remove. Cut into slices to serve, either warm or cold.
