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Cook this: Cheese and onion pie from Poppy Cooks

Michelin-trained chef and TikTok sensation Poppy O'Toole's 'all-time best pastry recipe' lays the foundation for this savoury pie

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Our cookbook of the week is Poppy Cooks by Poppy O’Toole. Tomorrow, we’ll feature an interview with the author.

To try another recipe from the book, check out: Bacon-y garlic-y potato-y; and apples ‘n’ pears pork.

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Michelin-trained chef and TikTok sensation Poppy O’Toole’s “all-time best pastry recipe” lays the foundation for this cheese and onion pie.

All the recipes in her debut book, Poppy Cooks, build on fundamental core recipes. Her shortcrust pastry is the result of years of experimentation and inspiration from the restaurants she’s worked at.

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“You take a little bit of that, you add some of this, you roll it this way, you chill it for that amount of time. And then eventually, it just becomes second (nature) and you just start doing it. And it just happens,” says O’Toole.

In the book, she spins her savoury pastry into a brekkie quiche, Bombay potato pasties, stroganoff pie, and this cheese and onion pie, which was inspired by her childhood friend KT’s recipe.

O’Toole was initially skeptical when KT first made the vegetarian pie for her years ago, expecting it to be a “bit basic.” But that all changed once she took the first bite.

“I started eating and I was like, this is actually delicious. Like, what is this wizardry? You can just make this cheese and onion pie. And there’s nothing else in it. It’s just cheese and onions.”

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The savoury pie became part of her cold-weather repertoire. Every fall and winter, O’Toole honed the recipe: adding new ingredients, editing it or playing with the method.

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“In honour of my friend KT, I had to put the cheese and onion pie (in the book), which I’ve taken as my own now from her inspiration. It’s all about inspiration here. You’ve got to take a little bit from other people,” says O’Toole, laughing.

Poppy Cooks: The Food You Need
Poppy Cooks is Michelin-trained chef and TikTok sensation Poppy O’Toole’s first cookbook. Photo by Appetite by Random House

CHEESE AND ONION PIE

The core:
2/3 recipe quantity of Shortcrust Pastry (recipe follows)

For the pie:
1/2 recipe quantity of Cheese Sauce (recipe follows)
A small knob of butter, for greasing
A little all-purpose flour, for dusting
4 tbsp olive oil
4 large onions, peeled and sliced
1/2 bunch of chives, chopped
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten, for brushing
Salt and black pepper

Step 1

If you haven’t already, make your half quantity of Cheese Sauce (recipe follows). Set this aside until you’re ready to use it.

Step 2

Grease a 20-cm (8-inch) springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with butter (you can use an oven dish, but a tin means you can remove this magnificent beast as a centrePIEce).

Step 3

Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Break off two thirds of the pastry and roll it out to a disc about 33 cm (13 inches) in diameter and about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick, keeping it as round as possible. The pastry disc needs to be large enough to overhang the sides of the tin. Re-wrap the remaining third of pastry and put it back in the fridge until later.

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Step 4

In whatever way seems easiest to you (I am a pick-it-up-and-hope-for-the-best kinda gal myself, but you could use a rolling pin to help you, if you prefer), carefully transfer the disc into the tin and gently let it sink into the hollow. Tear off a little bit of the pastry, roll it into a ball and use it to gently press the pastry disc into the corner around the base, and up the side to create a wall. Make sure there are no gaps or holes and that you have an overhang over the edge of the tin or dish. Pop this in the fridge to chill and rest while you make the filling.

Step 5

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium–high heat. When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10–15 minutes, until they are just getting a tiny bit of colour. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Add the cheese sauce, chives and mustard, then remove the pan from the heat and transfer the filling to a bowl. Leave to cool slightly, then chill in the fridge for about 20–30 minutes.

Step 7

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5). Roll out the remaining third of pastry on a floured surface to a disc about 24 cm (9 1/2 inches) in diameter and about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick, to form the pie lid.

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Step 8

Pour the chilled filling into the pastry case. Using a splash of water, dampen the rim of your pie and lift your pastry lid over the top.

Step 9

Press the pastry edges together, then use a knife to trim off any excess. (You can use the trimmings to make decorations for the top, if you like — just stick them on with a little beaten egg.) Do a little crimpy, crimp between your finger and thumb or with a fork, to seal. Make 2 little slits in the top of the pie so the steam can escape and the filling doesn’t ooze out.

Step 10

Brush the whole thing with beaten egg, place on a baking sheet and bang the pie in the oven for 40 minutes, until you have crispy, golden goodness. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before releasing and serving (or serve in the pie dish, if that’s what you used).

Serves: 2–4

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) all-purpose flour
250 g (9 oz) butter, cubed and chilled
A pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten then chilled
About 3–4 tbsp ice-cold water

Step 1

Using your hands, a food processor or a stand mixer, combine the flour, butter and salt. Either: with your hands, rub the ingredients between your thumbs and fingertips; in a food processor, use the pulse function; or in a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and add the butter a few cubes at a time. Whatever the method, keep going until you have a breadcrumb texture.

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Step 2

If you’re working by hand, make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, add the eggs, then the ice-cold water as necessary, and work quickly to incorporate. If you’re using a food processor or stand mixer, add the eggs, pulse or mix, then add the water a little at a time. Once the dough starts to clump, tip it out and bring it together briefly by hand. You want just enough liquid so that the dough binds — don’t overwork it, otherwise the pastry will be elastic, rather than crisp.

Step 3

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and form each into a ball. Press the balls with the palm of your hand to turn each into a fairly flat, but fat disc (this will just help with rolling when you come to use the pastry). Wrap the pastry discs tightly in cling film and leave them in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes before using, or before freezing.

Makes: 1 large pie (lid and base) and 1 tart (base only); or 3 tarts (base only)

Storage: Freezer 3 months (defrost for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge before using)

CHEESE SAUCE

Cheese sauce from Poppy Cooks
Cheese sauce from Poppy Cooks. Photo by Louise Hagger

500 mL (2 cups) whole milk
50 g (2 oz) butter
70 g (2 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
200 g (7 oz) your choice of cheese, grated (I’d go for cheddar and double Gloucester, but a traditional Mornay sauce usually just has gruyère in there)

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Step 1

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and place it over a medium heat for 7 minutes, until warmed through. Set aside.

Step 2

Place a second, smallish saucepan over a low–medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Then, using a spatula or wooden spoon, gradually beat in the flour, about a tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick paste. You don’t want the paste to start browning — if you’re worried just take the pan off the heat to slow things down a little as you add.

Step 3

Once all the flour is in, cook, stirring, until you have a dough-like consistency and the paste is coming away from the sides of the pan.

Step 4

Little by little, add the warmed milk, making sure you allow the first addition to fully incorporate into the paste before adding more. Keep mixing to avoid lumps — switch to a whisk if you need to.

Step 5

Once all the milk is in and you have a smooth, thick sauce, season with the salt and nutmeg.

Step 6

Now, simply add your cheese and stir to melt in and combine for the perfect cheesy sauce! If you’re not using the sauce straight away, transfer it to an airtight container (leave it to cool before you put the lid on).

Serves: 4–6 (depending on how you use it)

Recipe and image excerpted from Poppy Cooks by Poppy O’Toole. Copyright © 2021 Poppy O’Toole. Photography © 2021 Louise Hagger. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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