A modern twist on the classic Cranks recipe - here the potatoes are not mashed but sauteed (and left in crisp chunks!), the mushrooms are slowly browned and the cream and the cheese bubble away underneath. There are so many twists to this classic, comforting recipe, it is hard to take it off our menu!
Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 220c/425f/gas mark 7
Butter and dust the tins with flour
Roll out the pastry so that it is very thin, line the bases, prick with a fork and rest for 10 minutes in the fridge. After the second rest, bake for 10 minutes in the oven, lining with baking parchment and baking beans.
Meanwhile, make the filling by frying the chopped potatoes in 1tbsp olive oil - go at it fairly slowly, so the potatoes are almost a little underdone on the inside...
Separately, fry the onion to golden brown in some more oil, adding the garlic half way through.
Add the potatoes to this and fry together under a steady flame for a few minutes, then transfer to a bowl while you fry the mushrooms in the same pan in some more oil. They should remain dry so the flame should be high this time, to catch the juices and seal them in.
You can add the Tamari or Tabasco now.
Mix it all together and add the double cream, then remove from the heat and add half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper, add the fresh herbs and allow to cool to a tepid temperature before pouring into the cases.
Scatter the remaining cheese over and bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven. These pies make perfect freezer food, as long as they are baked straight from frozen.
Perfect!
Wholemeal pastry recipe (as with other 'classic' Homity Pie recipe)
600g potatoes, chopped into chunks
40ml olive oil
375g onions
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
125g mushrooms, sliced
A dash of Tamari (optional)
A dash of Tabasco/chilli sauce (optional)
100ml double cream
125g mature Cheddar, grated
1tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh marjoram leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
