The traditional vegetarian pie option - said to be made by the Land Girls during the Second World War, using basic storecupboard ingredients to make a tasty, wholesome and comforting meal - a great option to make for a VE day celebration!
This is my ‘healthified’ twist on the classic vegetarian homity pie. Free from gluten, dairy and egg, this pie is so versatile and works perfectly for lunch or dinner. Traditional recipes for homity pie call for cream and a lot of cheese and white onion, however I have adapted the recipe to be lower in fat and easier on the tummy/gut to digest.
Low FODMAP diet tip: Note my recipe uses 2 cloves of garlic; if you are unable to eat garlic and/or are still in the elimination phase, you can leave this out but make sure to use garlic infused oil to fry the spring onions and chives.
The recipe may seem quite long or complex, but have a quick read through the entire recipe before starting so that it is clear what to do. I have tried to break each element down so that it is easier to follow: the pastry, the potato mix and the sauce mix.
Tip: Make the pastry in advance to speed up making the pie, you can freeze it or keep in the fridge for a few days until you need to use it. See my Easy Gluten-free Vegan Pastry recipe for more information. (You can also use pre-made shop bought shortcrust pastry if you don't want to make it yourself!)
This pie is vegetarian but it can be a nice addition of flavour to add some lardons or chopped up chicken if you wish to mix things up a bit.
I love this pie, it is so comforting and reminds me of my childhood. My mum and I had it in a lunch cafe when I was about 10 years old, and after that it made a regular appearance in our house, when we were out of meat.
Ingredients:
Pastry:
1 batch gluten free vegan shortcrust pasty (see link for recipe)
Potato mix:
850g potatoes (any type - floury ones work well)
1 bunch of spring onions chopped (green part only)
2 tbsp fresh chives chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
100g spinach
100g mature cheddar grated
(or lactose-free cheddar if required)
1tbsp butter or dairy free alternative
2tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Sauce:
- 250ml milk of choice
- 1tbsp cornflour
- 1tsp dijon mustard
Method:
Preheat the oven to 2000C/Gas mark 6
Potato mix:
Peel and chop the potatoes into quarters, and add to a pan of water. Bring to the boil and boil for approximately 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through (but not mushy). Drain potatoes, return to the pan and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and add the garlic, chopped spring onions and chives, and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft, stirring regularly. If using lardons or chicken, you can cook them in the same pan at this stage.
Add the onion/garlic mix to the potatoes, along with the parsley, about 3/4 of the cheese and the spinach. Stir through to make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg to taste. Leave to one side.
Sauce:
Heat the milk over a medium heat along with the mustard.
Use a little of your milk and mix with the cornflour in a seperate bowl so that it forms in a thick paste.
Add the cornflour mix to the milk and continue to heat until the sauce thickens to the consistancy of double cream.
Pastry case:
Next, you need to prepare an 8inch cake tin. Line the base of the tin with greaseproof paper and grease/flour the sides of the tin.
Remove your pre prepared pastry from the fridge. (See my vegan gluten free pastry recipe) and break a third from the quantity. Roll out to fit into the base of the tin and place into the bottom.
Roll the remaining 2/3rds of your pastry to cover the sides of the tin - the pastry should reach about 2/3 of the height of the tin. Note: with the gluten free pastry it can be quite fragile to roll out; you can simply patch up the sides to make up the missing parts and squish together or brush over with some milk to make sure it has joined together. It will add to the rusticness of the pie!
Once your pastry case is prepared, tip the potato mix into the case and pour the white sauce over the top so that it slowly seeps through the mixture. Top with the remaining grated cheese and bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.
Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Best enjoyed with a fresh green leafy salad!