Chard and Spenwood pie

Serves 4-6 Spenwood is a British hard sheep’s milk cheese; you could use a really nice cheddar or gouda. We always suggest making the pastry from scratch, but you can also buy ready-made puff pastry. The onion purée and the chard can be made the day before. You will need a 22cm tart ring.

For the pastry

— 250g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

— 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

— 5g salt

— 250g crème fraîche

— 1 egg, beaten with a touch of milk

For the filling

— 2 onions

— 100g unsalted butter

— 1 sprig of thyme — 2 bay leaves

— 1kg rainbow chard

— 100ml olive oil

— 1 garlic clove

For the cheese sauce

— 25g butter

— 25g plain flour

— 400ml milk

— 100g Spen wood cheese

To start the pastry, chop the butter into dice and mix with the flour and salt to a crumble, then add the crème fraîche and bind together. Leave to rest for one hour.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worktop into one 24cm circle and one 22cm circle (for the pie lid).

Butter the tart ring and dust with flour on a baking sheet, then line with the larger pastry circle and leave both the case and the lid to cool in the fridge until needed.

For the filling, slice the onions thinly and cook in a lidded pan with the butter, thyme and one bay leaf. Cook slowly until soft, then remove the bay and thyme, and blitz in a food processor until smooth and purée-like. Leave to chill.

Chop the rainbow chard very finely, as you would parsley. Cook in a pan with the olive oil, garlic and a bay leaf until soft. Drain any excess juice from the chard to ensure the pastry stays crisp.

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5.

To make the cheese sauce, first make a roux. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour, cooking and stirring until it becomes biscuity. Take off the heat and gradually stir in the milk to get a smooth sauce. Return to the heat for 10 minutes. Sit the cheese in the pan and allow it to melt.

Assemble the pie with three layers: take the pastry case out of the fridge and spread the onion purée over the base. Follow with layers of first the chard mixture and then the cheese sauce. Place the pie lid on top, pressing it to join the edges, brush with the egg milk wash, and prick a hole in the middle to release steam.

Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown.