Lancashire Cheese And Onion Plate Pie Recipes

LANCASHIRE CHEESE AND ONION PIE

Steps:

• Finely chop the onions
• Melt butter in a pan
• Add chopped onions to the pan, stir to coat in butter, and turn the heat to low
• Cook onions in butter on low until they are clear but not colored; about 10 minutes
• Whilst the onions are cooking, grate your cheese coarsely. I often find Lancashire cheese so crumbly that it's easy to tear apart the cheese whilst gating to save some time
• Once the onions have turned clear, add 1/2 pint of water to the pan, and bring to a low simmer
• Simmer onion water mixture until the water reduces down to barely there
• Turn hob off and allow the onion mixture to cool slightly
• In a large bowl, combine the cooled onion mixture with the grated cheese - this is your completed filling
• Pre-heat your oven to 180C
• Butter your pie dish liberally
• Roll out your pastry to two large circles; one for the base and one for the top of the pie
• Line the base of the pie dish with one of the pastry circles, allowing some pastry to overhang the edges
• Spoon the filling in to the pie and smooth down so the base is evenly covered
• Add the second pastry circle to the top of the pie; covering completely
• Pinch the edges of the pastry to seal, and cut off access using a sharp knife
• Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg all over the top of the pie, and use knife to poke two holes in the top sheet of pastry
• Place the pie on a large baking tray (just encase any cheese oozes out)
• Place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown
• Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool. This is a pie which cannot be eaten immediately as the cheese will be very runny. Set pie aside for a minimum of 20 minutes.
• Serve with chips and tomato sauce - yum!

CHEESE & ONION PLATE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180ºC, 350ºF, Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) ovenproof plate or pie dish, enamel is best.
• Mix flour and salt in basin, rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Using a knife to cut and stir, mix with cold water to form a stiff dough. Do not over mix, light of hand is best. Allow pastry dough to chill and "relax" for 30 minutes, in a fridge or a cool place, cover the bowl or put the pastry in some cling film.
• Sweat the onions in a large frying pan or sauté pan with a lid, over a low heat. Keep stirring to stop the onions browning and keep the pan covered. The onions will be cooked in about 25 to 30 minutes. Take off the heat.
• Add the grated cheese to the hot onions and mix well. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
• Roll out the pastry and line the pie plate with half the pastry, trim off the edges and save the excess pastry for decorations.
• Spoon the cheese and onion filling into the middle of the pastry case, leaving about 1"/2.5cm border around the edge. Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the filling with the pastry, sealing around the edges with your thumb, or with a knife/fork. (You can brush some beaten egg on the border before sealing)
• Trim the edges and brush the beaten egg all over the pie crust, make two a cuts for air holes in the top and decorate with excess pastry if desired.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp; allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving with chips, or with salad and assorted pickles and sauces.

LANCASHIRE CHEESE-AND-ONION PIE

Steps:

• Combine the flour and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons butter and the lard, and use your fingers to gently rub the fat into the flour until it has the texture of coarse bread crumbs.
• Mix in just enough ice water to bind the mixture, about 3 tablespoons, and lightly knead the dough until well combined and smooth. When you can mold the mixture into a ball, do so. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes -- or freeze for 10 -- to ease rolling.
• Heat the oven to 350. Add 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet over low heat. When the butter melts, add the onions, a pinch of salt and the ground white pepper; cook slowly for about 10 minutes, never browning.
• Turn the heat to medium and slowly pour in the water. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid cooks off, about 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and place them on a plate to cool
• Grease the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish and sprinkle a countertop with flour. Unwrap the dough and divide it into two balls, one twice as big as the other. Put them on the surface and sprinkle the tops with flour. Using light pressure, roll each one from the center outward, adding more flour as needed and turning them over once or twice during the process. When the larger ball is roughly 10 inches in diameter, gently move it into the pie dish and press it firmly into the bottom and sides. Prick it all over with a fork.
• Layer the onions and cheese on top of the dough in the dish, then carefully cover with the remaining dough -- it should be about 8 inches in diameter. Press the edges together, gently but firmly, and brush the top and edges with milk. Use a knife to make 3 small incisions in the top of the crust so steam can escape.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is nicely browned and the insides are bubbly, 45 minutes to an hour. Cool a bit before slicing into wedges and serving.