Lancashire Butter Pie
LancashireButterPie
Serves 8
Plant Based / Dairy Free / Nut Free
A Lancashire butter pie, is a traditional English savoury pie, mainly consisting of onions, potatoes and butter.
Butter pies are known to have originated in Lancashire, hence the name. They were created by the Catholic community for the workers and were meant to be consumed on days when meat was not allowed.
Our version of the Lancashire butter pie is made with plant based butter, fresh thyme and freshly grated nutmeg. The homemade pastry simply melts in the mouth and complements the soft filling wonderfully. A really beautiful, simple recipe, perfect for Autumn and the colder months.
Ingredients
- For the pastry -
350g organic plain flour
100g organic corn flour
200g cold plant based butter (we use Naturli block)
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
A few tablespoons ice cold water
- For the filling -
100g plant based butter (we use Naturli block)
3 large white onions, peeled and finely sliced (300g)
5 medium potatoes, peeled and finely sliced (900g)
1tbsp yellow mustard
1tsp vegetable bouillon powder
1tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2tbsp nutritional yeast
A few sprigs fresh thyme
- You will also need -
A 23cm springform tin, greased and lined with baking parchment
A rolling pin
Baking parchment
Ceramic baking beads
A little plant based milk for glazing
Method
Preheat the oven at 200C.
Place the peeled and sliced potatoes in a pan with boiling water and blanch them for 3-5 minutes. Rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process, drain them and set aside.
To prepare the filling, melt the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the sliced onions over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the rest of the filling ingredients and set aside.
To prepare the pastry, place the flour, the corn flour, the salt and the sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Cut the butter in small chunks and add it to the flour mixture. Pulse a few times until you have a sandy consistency. With the processor on, begin adding the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time and stop when the dough comes together in one big ball.
On a lightly floured surface, drop the pastry and divide it in two, with one piece roughly consisting 2/3 of the dough and the other 1/3. Wrap the smaller piece in cling film and place it in the fridge.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the larger piece in a circle a fair bit larger than the tin it will go in. Gently fold it onto your pin and lay it over the prepared tin. Allow it to drop into the tin and, using your hands, mould it around the bottom and the sides. Take a large piece of parchment paper and scrunch it up. Unfold it and lay it gently over the pastry. Place the ceramic baking beads over the paper and spread them around. Bake the pastry shell for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, lift the beads out by holding the paper and set aside.
Preheat the oven at 220C.
To fill the pie, begin by layering the potato slices and the onion slices alternately. Pour any buttery juices over the filling and sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining pastry into a circle slightly bigger than your tin. Lay it over the filling and trim any overhanging bits. Decorate the pie however you like with the trimmings and glaze it with a little milk.
Bake the pie for 25 minutes in the middle of the oven. Allow the pie to cool for 30 minutes before taking it out of the tin. Serve hot or at room temperature with a simple salad. Enjoy!
Notes
Good quality ingredients are important for this recipe. Use fresh unsprouted potatoes and onions, fresh herbs and spices, good quality plant based butter and organic flours for best results.
