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Butter pie with corned beef and cabbage

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

Pastry

  • 225g/8oz plain flour
  • 100g/4oz cold butter, diced
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • Ice cold water

Filling

  • 3 large potatoes
  • 1 large onion
  • 100g/4oz butter
  • 225g/8oz corned beef, thickly sliced
  • 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp rapeseed oil

Accompaniment

  • 50g/2oz butter
  • ½ large cabbage
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1tbsp chopped chives
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
  2. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl then rub in the butter until it forms breadcrumbs.
  3. Add enough ice cold water to just form a dough, then gently pull together and knead lightly.
  4. Flatten into a disc then wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
  5. Meanwhile peel the potatoes, wash and cut into slices 5mm/¼“ thick.
  6. Place the potatoes into a saucepan then add enough cold water to just cover them. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes until just soft, but still retaining their shape. Drain and set aside to cool.
  7. Meanwhile, peel and shred the onion. Heat a frying pan until medium hot, add half the butter and sweat the onions for 5-10 minutes very gently, without any colour until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  8. Cut a third of the pastry off and set aside, then roll the rest out to disc about 5mm/¼” thick.
  9. Line a greased 20cm/8” pie dish with the rolled pastry, then layer the potatoes, onions, corned beef and remaining butter into the pie dish.
  10. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg, then roll out the remaining third of pastry to 5mm/¼” thick and place over the top of the pie.
  11. Crimp the pastry around the edges and trim the excess then decorate with any left over pastry. Brush the top with the egg wash.
  12. Place in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown and hot through.
  13. Meanwhile, shred the cabbage finely and heat a frying pan until hot.
  14. Add the butter and cabbage and a splash of water and sauté until just tender. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and black pepper then stir in the chives.
  15. Serve with the pie.

Arlene Phillips