Cheese, Onion, Leek & Potato Pie

My adaptation of Huey's Cheese, Onion & Potato Pie. Huey (Iain Hewitson) is a larger than life Melbourne chef who has written several cookbooks and who features regularly on a number of extremely popular TV show. I have posted several of his recipes on Zaar. Some conversions: 100g = approximately 31/2 ounces; 150g = just under 5 ounces; 250g = 8 ounces; 1kg = 32 ounces or 2 pounds.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon olive oil (or more if you are not using a non-stick pan)
• 2  large onions, sliced
• 1  leek, sliced
• 3 -4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  teaspoon dried thyme
• 100  g  cubed  tasty cheese
• 150  g  grated  tasty cheese
• 250  g creme fraiche (or sour cream, low-fat is fine)
• 1  kg  medium-large potato, peeled & very finely sliced (place in water until you are ready to add them in the layers in the pie)
•  sea salt, to taste (to be added between layers of the pie)
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste (to be added between layers of the pie)
• 1  puff pastry sheet
• 1  egg
• 1⁄4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced (200°C normal)/350°-375°F/4-5 gas mark.
2. Heat a little oil in a heavy-based - preferably non-stick - pan and gently sauté the onions, spring onions and leek until softish, stirring now and again; remove the pan from the heat; add the minced garlic and thyme to the pan and mix to combine the ingredients.
3. Combine all the tasty cheese with the crème fraiche or sour cream.
4. Place several layers of potato in the base of a well-greased round oven dish and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; top with half of the sautéed onions, leek and garlic; add several dollops of the cheese mixture (there is no need to spread this out as the cheeses will spread out as the pie starts to cook and the cheeses melt); repeat these steps, ending with the cheese layer.
5. Cut a round of pastry to cover and slightly overlap the dish in which the pie is to be cooked.
6. Beat together the egg and milk; brush the outside edges of the dish just below the rim with the egg wash and place the pastry round on top of the pie, overhanging the edge of the dish; press down the sides of the pastry onto the sides of the dish and brush the top of the pie and the overlapping edges of the pastry with the egg wash.
7. Cook the pie in the lower part of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
8. Serve the pie with a salad greens.