Lancashire Cheese and Onion Pie
Crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry filled with melting crumbly Lancashire cheese, sweet softened onions, and gentle seasoning.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 590 kcal
Equipment
- •20cm pie dish
- •frying pan
- •mixing bowl
- •rolling pin
- •pastry brush
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- fat
- 35 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 590 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the flour, a pinch of salt, and diced chilled butter together with fingertips until fine breadcrumbs form.
- 2
Add cold water gradually, stirring with a knife until the mixture forms a soft, cohesive dough.
- 3
Wrap the dough tightly and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- 4
Melt 25g butter in a frying pan over low heat on the hob.
- 5
Add the sliced onions and cook gently for 15 minutes until soft and translucent without browning.
- 6
Transfer the softened onions to a mixing bowl and leave to cool completely.
- 7
Stir the crumbled Lancashire cheese, mustard powder, white pepper, and half the beaten egg into the cooled onions.
- 8
Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line a 20cm pie dish.
- 9
Spoon the cheese and onion mixture evenly into the pastry case.
- 10
Roll out the remaining pastry, lay it over the filling, and crimp (fold and pinch the pastry edge into a rope) to seal.
- 11
Brush the pastry lid with the remaining beaten egg and cut a small steam vent in the centre.
- 12
Bake at 190°C (170°C fan) for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Chef's tips
Ensure the cooked onions cool completely before mixing with the cheese to prevent the fat from melting prematurely. Crumbly Lancashire cheese gives the authentic tangy, creamy texture, as it softens delightfully without turning greasy.
Ingredient substitutions
- crumbly Lancashire cheese → mature white Cheshire or crumbly Wensleydale cheese
- English mustard powder → 1 tsp prepared English mustard
Storage
Store leftover pie covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat slices on a baking tray in a fan oven at 170°C for 15 minutes until piping hot and crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding hot onions directly to the cheese, which makes the filling separate and oily.
- •Overworking the shortcrust pastry, resulting in a tough and chewy crust.
- •Browning the onions too heavily, which alters the sweet, mild character of the filling.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Lancashire Cheese and Onion Pie?
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