Leek and smoked cheese pithivier
There's no need to pithi(vier) the veg with this Leek and Smoked Cheese Pithivier recipe. Pithivier is a traditional circular puff pastry pie with a curved pattern cut into the pastry. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover veg, turkey, chicken or ham to the leek mixture. The pie can be made in advance up to the final baking stage and kept in the fridge. It would make a good vegetarian Christmas main course.
Serves [4]
Ingredients
1 kilogram leeks, washed and finely shredded
Knob of butter
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to season
100 grams cream cheese
80 grams smoked cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 sheets ready rolled all-butter puff pastry (you need about 600 grams if making your own or if rolling out a block, roll to about ½ - ¾ centimetres)
1 egg yolk, mixed with a splash of milk
Method
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the leeks and cook gently for about 10 mins until the leeks are soft. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Season well with salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat and stir in the cheddar and chives. Leave to cool completely.
Stir in leftover turkey pieces if using.
Roll out one piece of the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use a removed dinner plate as a template to cut around to make a circle.
Spread over the leek mixture, leaving a gap of 5 centimetres. Roll out the other half of the pastry and lay over the top. Press the edges down to seal. Trim the edges. Brush the egg wash all over the pastry.
Use a sharp knife to score curved lines on top of the pie and the edges.
Bake at 180 celsius for about 30 mins, until the top is golden brown and the pastry cooked through.
Serve warm.
Recipe and photo provided by Riverford Organic Farms.
