Cheddar and leek potato pie
Sweet leeks in a creamy mustard sauce sit beneath tender sliced potatoes and a golden mature Cheddar crust. This pastry-free British pie takes about 90 minutes, including resting; allow longer if the leeks need more evaporation or the potatoes need further baking.
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Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Heat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan, with a shelf in the upper-middle position. Put the 2 litres water and 10 g salt in the saucepan and bring to the boil. Grease the baking dish with 5 g butter. While the water heats, peel and weigh the potatoes, then slice evenly 3–4 mm thick. Trim the leeks, split lengthways, wash between the layers and drain thoroughly; weigh out 650 g and slice across 5 mm thick.
- No timer needed
Melt the remaining 30 g butter in the sauté pan over a medium-low heat. Add the leeks and 1 g salt, stir and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring twice, until softened without browning. Meanwhile, parboil the potatoes as described in step 3 and grate the Cheddar, keeping 60 g and 100 g separate. Uncover the leeks and cook for another 3–5 minutes, stirring, until no liquid pools in the pan. Allow longer if they are still wet before adding flour.
- 05:00
While the leeks cook covered, carefully add the potatoes to the boiling water. Return to a gentle boil, then cook for 5–7 minutes, checking at 5 minutes: a small knife should pass through with slight resistance, but the slices should still hold their shape. Drain carefully and spread on a tray to steam-dry for 3–5 minutes. Do not rinse.
- No timer needed
Stir the flour into the softened, relatively dry leeks and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk, adding a little at first and mixing thoroughly before each addition. Bring to a gentle bubble, then simmer for 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce coats the leeks thickly rather than running into a watery pool. If loose, simmer a little longer now. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, pepper and reserved 60 g Cheddar. Taste and add some or all of the final 1 g salt only if needed. Do not boil after adding the cheese.
- 30:00
Spread the leek filling in the greased dish. Arrange the potatoes over it in two loosely overlapping layers, without pressing them down. Scatter over the reserved 100 g Cheddar. Leave at least 1 cm headroom and place the dish on the rimmed baking tray. Bake for 30–40 minutes, checking at 30 minutes, until the filling bubbles around the edges, the cheese is golden and a knife passes easily through the central potato layers. If the cheese browns before the potatoes soften, cover loosely with foil and continue baking in 5-minute increments.
- 09:00
Remove the dish using dry oven gloves and rest for 8–10 minutes so the filling settles. Spoon into four portions and serve.
Chef tips
- Drain washed leeks thoroughly and evaporate any pooled liquid before adding flour. A smaller pan will need longer.
- Keep potato slices 3–4 mm thick and boil gently. Drain while they still hold their shape rather than waiting for them to break apart.
- Add milk gradually to prevent lumps, and thicken the sauce before adding cheese off the heat.
- Use the specified shallow dish: a smaller, deeper dish creates thicker potato layers that take longer to soften.
- Bake to the tenderness cues, not just the clock. Cover a browned crust loosely with foil if the central potatoes need more time.
Equipment check
- Shallow 2.5-litre ovenproof dish, approximately 26 × 20 cm internally and at least 5 cm deep
- Rimmed baking tray
- 4-litre saucepan
- 28 cm deep sauté pan with a lid
- Colander and tray for steam-drying potatoes
- Knife, chopping board, grater and wooden spoon
- Foil, if needed
- Dry oven gloves
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This pastry-free pie makes four substantial main-course portions. Sweet, soft leeks and a creamy, spoonable sauce contrast with sharp Cheddar and browned potato edges. Evaporating the leeks’ excess moisture and parboiling evenly sliced potatoes keeps the filling thick and the topping tender.
Ingredient notes
Weigh potatoes after peeling and leeks after trimming. Desiree or Maris Piper potatoes work well; slice them evenly, 3–4 mm thick. Wash thoroughly between the leek layers and drain well. Semi-skimmed milk can replace whole milk at the same volume. Choose Cheddar made with vegetarian rennet. Contains milk, wheat and mustard; check the mustard label for additional declared allergens.
Serving & storage
Rest before spooning into four portions; the pie is substantial enough to serve on its own. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder. Use within 48 hours or freeze sooner. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge and reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout.
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