I love cheese. In sandwiches, to snack on, with pasta and even in my dessert. If there’s some way I can add cheese to a dish, I’ll give it a good try. When I was approached by Barber’s to use their Vintage Reserve Cheddar in a recipe of my own creation, I jumped at the chance. This is a seriously delicious cheddar and I was trying to think of how best to showcase it.
I decided to create a traditional cheese and potato pie, but with a French twist by turning it into a pithivier. I love puff pastry and I have made my own for this pithivier, but if you want to use shop bought puff pastry it’s fine, I wont tell anyone. There is something very satisfying about making your own puff pastry though. I always make more than a recipe asks for, so that I have some in the freezer whenever I need it. Give it a try, it’s easier than you think.
This cheese, onion & potato pithivier is really easy to make and its great hot or cold, because the layers of potato and the cheese are quite dense this slices really well when it’s cold and would be great for picnics or to pack in a lunch box.
To make your own cheese, onion & potato pithivier the recipe is below along with a link to my own puff pastry recipe. This is so easy to make, you really have to try it.
Cheese, Onion & Potato Pithivier
Ingredients
- 400 g Potatoes
- 150 g Barber's 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar
- 1 Large Onion
- Oil for frying
- 50 ml Double Cream
- 500 g Puff Pastry
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- If making your own puff pastry, prepare it up to the final stages and leave to chill.
- Peel and slice the potatoes to a thickness of 3/4cm and boil in a pan of water for 3-5 minutes until just tender, but still firm. Drain the potatoes and leave to cool.
- While the potatoes are cooking, thinly slice the onion and heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Fry the onions for 10 minutes until they are soft and translucent, don't let the onions colour at all, add a touch of water if you need to. Leave to one side to cool.
- Grate the cheddar and place into a bowl that is big enough to fit the onions as well. Add the cooled onions, the cream and the salt and pepper. Stir to combine and taste a small amount of the mixture, add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan and line a baking tray with a silicone mat or a piece of greaseproof paper.
- Take the puff pastry and divide into two, one batch of 200g and one of 300g. Roll the 200g piece of pastry out and cut out a circle that is 23cm diameter and place it on the prepared baking tray.
- Leaving a gap of a couple of centimetres around the edge of the pastry place a layer of potatoes and add a layer of the cheese and onion mix, keep layer to form a mound and finish with a layer of cheese and onion mix.
- Brush the edge with egg and roll out the other block of pastry to make a 24cm circle, place this over the top, match up the edges and press down the pastry to secure it. Cut a circle out of the top of the pithivier to let the air out. You may need to trim the edges to neaten it.
- Brush the pithivier with egg wash and then place it in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
- Take the chilled pithivier from the fridge and using a sharp pointed knife lightly score the pastry with curved lines spiralling out from the top.
- Place the pithivier in the preheated oven and cook for 30 - 35 mins until the pithivier is golden. You can serve the pithivier warm or leave it to cool and eat it cold with salad.
Notes
If you cannot get hold of Barber's 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddar you can substitute it for another vintage or mature cheddar.
If you’re feeling inspired after reading this recipe, the lovely people at Barber’s are running a competition where you could see your recipe in print. Do you have a go to recipe using cheddar, a delicious snack, a pasta bake or some kind of epic sandwich? If so, Barber’s want to know about it, you could have your recipe included in the #barberscookbook. The closing date is 24th February 2017 and the winner will receive a copy of the book featuring their recipe. Find out more details here.
Thanks for reading.
Angela
This post was sponsored by Barber’s 1833, but all opinions are my own.
Jodie Dodd
My mouth is watering, these look so good! And I do love cheese! Nothing is ever too cheesy for me. 🙂 I am definitely going to make these, seems simple enough and perfect for cold winter days. I’ll be cheating and using store bought pastry though. 😉
patisseriemakesperfect
Jodie you have to make this- it’s so delicious, you’ll love it and the ready made pastry is fine 🙂
Jo Brigdale
This looks delicious! Barber’s is full of flavour and I am sure it tasted excellent in this. The pastry looks very crisp too
patisseriemakesperfect
Thanks Jo, you’re so right about the cheese, it’s delicious. The pastry is great and so easy.
Kavey at Kavey Eats
Yes me too me too, love adding cheese. There’s little that can’t be enhanced by cheese! And if not cheese, then bacon and/ or chocolate! These cheese onion pithivier’s really dress up a cheese potato pie, I love the idea!
patisseriemakesperfect
I agree with you on all of these points 🙂 cheese, chocolate and bacon are pretty much the only food groups that matter!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
I love Barber’s cheese, so delicious! I bet it tastes wonderful with all of these other ingredients too.
patisseriemakesperfect
It’s so good Jemma, I really like it a lot. This pie is dangerously tasty!
anniesnomsblog
I love cheese too! Any which way I can have it ha! This looks so perfect; it’s so beautiful too!
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you, so glad I’m not the only cheese fiend!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
I’d never heard of a pithivier but I asked my husband if he’d like to try cheese and potato pie (those are his two favorite things) and his answer was, UM YES!
patisseriemakesperfect
Cheese and potato pie is really common here and it’s so tasty, your husband has good taste!
LivinLyssa
I think what you really need to post is how to make puff pastry! Bravo! That’s a task I just can’t commit to, I’ve heard it takes a ton of work and lots of time due to the 100s of folds. If you ever do a post on that, please tag me so I can come check it out!
LivinLyssa
Oh man, looking back now I see the puff pastry link! Love it!
patisseriemakesperfect
ha this made me laugh, maybe I should a puff pastry tutorial though 🙂 x
Mark, CompassandFork
Great job on the pithivier. I love any pie I must admit but I have not tried potato and cheese before. It is a very classy looking dish and I just love cheddar.
patisseriemakesperfect
You’ll love this mark, it’s a bit like dauphinoise in a pie, it’s so delicious.
Platter Talk
That is one beautiful pie! Very elegant on the outside and filled with comfort food on the inside!
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you, you’ve described it perfectly.