Hairy Bikers Homity Pie Recipe

An open, part-wholemeal crust filled with floury potato, onion, spinach and mature Cheddar makes the Hairy Bikers homity pie from Best of British. With 6 to 8 servings in it, I cut 8 wedges of roughly 630 calories, and it takes just over an hour and a half.

Homity pies of the seventies and eighties were often seen as “leathery, unappetising with a smug crust”, they write in British Classics. Yet this one steers clear of that with a buttery part-wholemeal crust and a filling lifted by slow-fried onions, spinach and nutmeg.

Pour the cream over rather than stirring it in, because it needs to seep down between the potatoes and set as the pie bakes. Before that, press any cracks in the pastry case together, since the cream will find any gap and seep out into the tin.

Hairy Bikers Homity Pie Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time:1 hour Rest time: 10 minutesTotal time:1 hour 35 minutesServings:8 servingsCalories:630 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Everything goes into a 20cm springform tin on a baking tray and bakes for 40 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden. After 10 minutes in the tin it lifts out onto a plate, ready to cut into thick wedges while warm.

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 125g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 125g wholemeal flour
• 150g butter
• 1 egg, beaten

For the filling

• 850g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and quartered
• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 onions, halved and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• 175g mature Cheddar, coarsely grated
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 250ml double cream
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the pastry: blend 125g plain flour, 125g wholemeal flour and 150g butter in a food processor until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Then add the beaten egg, pulse until it just comes together and flatten it into a round.
2. Line the tin: ease the pastry into a 20cm springform tin, over the base and up the sides, pressing any cracks together.
3. Boil the potatoes: cook 850g quartered potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes, until just tender. Then drain, tip them back into the pan and cut into 3cm pieces with a round-bladed knife.
4. Fry the onions: melt 25g butter with 1 tbsp sunflower oil and fry the onions gently for 15 minutes, until soft and pale golden-brown. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring.
5. Mix the filling: preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Add the onions and garlic to the potatoes with 100g of the cheese, the parsley and the spinach. Then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well.
6. Fill and pour: spoon the filling into the pastry case and pour over 250ml double cream, letting it drizzle down between the potato pieces. Then scatter the remaining 75g of cheese on top.
7. Bake: set the tin on a baking tray and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and pale golden-brown.
8. Rest and slice: leave the pie in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift it out onto a plate. Cut into thick wedges with a sharp knife.

FAQs

What is the difference between homity pie and cheese and potato pie?

Homity pie is open, with chunks of potato, onion, spinach and Cheddar set with cream in a crust made with wholemeal flour. But their cheese and potato pie from Brilliant Bakes is a double-crust pie of sliced potato layered with cheese under a lid. Because it has a lid, I find that one travels better, while homity is best eaten warm at home.

Is there a Hairy Bikers homity pie with more vegetables?

Yes, in British Classics they describe theirs as “the grandson of those early pies”, with fewer potatoes to make it “less heavy”. In their version, 400g of waxy potato shares the tin with carrots, turnips and broccoli, and Dijon mustard goes into the cream. Since they suggest celeriac or swede would work well too, it suits whatever roots are in a winter veg box.

Is homity pie vegetarian?

Yes, it has no meat and carries a vegetarian tag on BBC Food, but check your Cheddar, since some is made with animal rennet. For another meat-free main from their books, I also make their aubergine veggie meatballs.

Can I make homity pie ahead, and does it freeze?

Yes, I often bake it in the morning, then cover it and chill it within two hours of coming out of the oven. After that it keeps for two days, and I reheat wedges under foil at 180°C/Fan 160°C until piping hot. But I have not frozen it, so I cannot vouch for how the creamy filling would thaw.

What goes with homity pie?

Something crisp and sharp, because the filling is rich with cream and Cheddar. So their Waldorf salad with apple and walnuts works well, since fresh apple, celery and grapes bring crunch to each rich forkful.