Julie's Photo Advent Calendar Photo Hunt December 3rd 2017

    

See who else is joining in the fun.  Link to Julie's Scrapbook HERE

December 3^rd – Favourite Christmas Recipe 

We are a divided family.....some carnivores and others vegi wimps!  So I cook traditional turkey, stuffing, gammon and roasties, all the usual sauces and vegetables but try to make something special for Hawthorn and now eldest grandson too.  I loved making this Potato, Leek and Stilton Pie from a recipe I found in the Daily Mail some years ago.If anyone is interested in making it don't be put off by the rather long looking instructions, there are really only four main ingredients and bought puff pastry.  Even the method is simple but the whole thing looks so good served up.  It also cuts well either heated or cold the next day.



Deep Midwinter Stilton Pie tu
     By Annie Bell

Serves 6

600g maincrop potatoes                       500 g bought puff pastry

75g unsalted butter                                Flour for rolling out

sea salt and black pepper                     200 g stilton

500 g leeks (trimmed weight)              l egg yolk blended with 1 tbs water

2 garlic cloves                                         1 tsp thyme leaves.

Have ready a 20cm loose bottom cake tine at least 6 cm deep

Peel potatoes, cut into even chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, leave for a few minutes to steam-dry, then coarsely mash.  Stir in a third of the butter and some seasoning, transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.

Whilst potatoes are cooking,  thinly slice the leeks and peel and finely chop the garlic. Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat, add the leeks, garlic and thyme. Season and fry for about 10 minutes until softened, stir occasionally.  Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180Fan?Gas 6

Set aside a third of the pastry.  Roll out the remainder on a floured surface into a circle big enough to line the cake tin with 5cm overhang all round. Lay pastry in tin.

Spoon in the mash and gently press down without over-compressing.  Crumble the cheese on top, and then spoon in the leaks

.

Roll out the remaining pastry and using the tin as a guide cut out a pie lid to sit on top of the leeks. Tuck this in place and brush top with beaten egg.  If you wish decorate the top with stars made from  pastry trimmings.  Cut a few slits in top of pie. Bake for 45 mins until risen and golden. Serve hot or warm.

NOTE:  You can make the pie up to a day in advance. In which case cover and chill and adjust the cooking time accordingly, allowing a little longer if necessary.

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