Nana’s RETRO RECIPES

CHEESE & ONION PIE

This is a very British dish which you would find served in pubs with a side of piccalilli or Branston pickle and a pint.

The cheese should strictly be Lancashire cheddar, which I have seen in some specialty shops here – track some down if you’re making this for a special occasion. In this recipe, I used tasty cheddar, which works quite well.

I served my pie with a lovely crisp green salad and a spoonful of freshly made tomato chutney and washed it down with an ice-cold lager. Shop-bought shortcrust pastry 3 onions 25g butter

300g cheese

Milk, to seal pastry

1 Take the pastry out of the freezer and leave to defrost. Peel the onions, then cut in half lengthwise and slice thinly.

2 Melt the butter in a frying pan over a low heat, then add the onions.

3 Cook for a couple of minutes, then pour in 150ml of water and simmer over a low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes until all the water has evaporated. The onion should be nice and soft.

4 Grate the cheese.

5 Roll out the pastry and grease a loose-bottomed tart dish.

6 Line the bottom with the pastry and leave the overhang. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork, then scatter half the onion, then half the cheese.

7 Add a second layer with the rest of the onion and cheese, then grind over some black pepper.

8 Roll out more pastry to form a lid, then trim and seal the edges and the top with milk.

9 Make a couple of slashes in the lid to allow the steam to escape during cooking.

10 Place the pie in an 180°C oven and cook for 30- 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling through the slashes. Let cool for about half an hour before serving.