I like this pie best as a cold-cutting pie. It’s a great addition to a buffet table. The recipe comes from my grandma, who lived in the North West of England – Lancashire and Westmorland – for many years.

You’ll see from the photo that the bottom’s a little bit soggy – hey, sometimes that happens; it could’ve done with a few more minutes in the oven, but so what, it tastes great.

The recipe’s really simple; I’ve tried it in the past with additions like egg in the filling, but this one’s the best, just cheese and onion like grandma used to make.

Short Crust Pastry:
200gm Plain Flour (All purpose flour)
100gm Lard or vegetarian alternative
40gm Water (approx)
2.5gm (about ½ level tsp) Salt

I’ll get around to posting a recipe and method eventually, but in the meantime, it’s St Delia to the rescue.

Filling:
175gm Extra mature Cheddar cheese
150gm Red Leicester cheese
325gm Onions, diced
1 tsp Mustard powder (Colman’s or similar)

To Glaze:
1 Egg yolk

Method:
Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°C, Gas mark 5 (180°C/350°F Fan).
Boil the chopped onions in salted water (to cover) for 5 minutes, until soft. Mix with the cheese and mustard powder.
Leave to cool while you roll the pastry and line an 20cm/8 inch metal flan tin. Roll and cut a round larger than the tin for the lid.
Fill the case with the cheese and onion mixture. Wet the top edge of the pastry a little and cover with the lid, pressing it to seal it to the base. Decorate it (optional) with the leftover pastry.
Brush it with the egg yolk and bake it in the oven for 35 – 40 minutes until golden brown.