Cheese And Onion Pie

Serves: to serve 4 - 6

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins

FOR THE HOT WATER PASTRY

1½ lb - plain flour (all purpose flour)

9 oz - butter

10 fl oz - whole milk

1 - egg (for glaze)

FOR THE FILLING

2 oz - butter

2 large - onions

1¾ lb - Cheddar cheese

2 large - eggs

5 tablespoons - double cream (heavy cream)

- sea salt and freshly-ground pepper

First, make the hot water crust pastry. Warm a large mixing bowl and sift in the flour. Make a well in the centre. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and the milk until almost boiling then pour the mixture into the well in the flour. Mix quickly until smooth then divide the pastry into two balls, one a little larger than the other, and roll out.
For the filling, peel and finely chop the onions then melt the butter in a frying pan and gently fry the onions on a low heat until soft (about 10 minutes). Leave to cool; meanwhile, grate the cheese. When the onions are cooled, mix them into a bowl with the grated cheese, eggs, cream and the seasoning, and mix thoroughly with your fingers.
Place the larger of the two pastries in the bottom of a lined, greased baking tin. Pour the cheese and onion mixture into the pastry case then moisten the edges with a little milk. Cover with the rolled-out top pastry, crimp the edges together carefully and trim off any excess pastry.
Beat the egg yolk (from the pastry ingredients) and brush over the top of the pie. Make a hole in the middle about ¾" (2cm) in diameter and bake the pie in a preheated moderate oven (Mk 4 - 350ºF - 180ºC) for 50 minutes until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling from the hole in the crust. Allow to cool before serving.