Gruyère develops 40,000 flavor compounds during 12-month cave aging—that's why this leek pie tastes impossibly complex.
Leek and Gruyère Pie
A savory pie featuring leeks, Gruyère cheese, and a hot water pastry crust, perfect for a hearty meal.
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
8
people
Level
advanced
The Story
This pie is pure medieval England meets Swiss Alpine chalet—when French monks perfected Gruyère in the 12th century Gruyères valley, English cooks were already cramming leeks into pastry cases because they were the only vegetables tough enough to survive British winters, creating this magnificent collision of peasant practicality and monastery cheese-making genius that somehow makes perfect sense.
Regional Twist
In Wales' Pembrokeshire, they swap the Gruyère for aged Caerphilly cheese and throw in wild garlic alongside the leeks, creating a properly Welsh version that's earthier than a rugby scrum.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 250g cream cheese, chopped and softened
- 2 cups (500ml) double cream
- 125g unsalted butter, chopped
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup (130g) wholemeal (wholewheat) plain (all-purpose) flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves
- sage sprigs and leaves, to decorate
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
📦Other(6)
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 4 eggs, plus 4 egg yolks extra
- 150g Gruyère, grated
- 1kg leeks (about 5 leeks), trimmed and thinly sliced
- 100g leeks, trimmed and sliced into thin strips
- micro (baby) shiso leaves (optional), to serve
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- 2
Invert the base of a 24cm round springform tin. Grease the tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
- 3
To make the hot water pastry, place the butter, salt and water in a medium saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the flours until a smooth dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick. Remove the top sheet of baking paper and discard.
- 4
Press the sage leaves and sprigs around the inside of the prepared tin. Using the remaining baking paper to help you, carefully line the tin with the pastry, trimming any excess. Top the baking paper with weights or rice to fill. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and set aside.
- 5
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil, leek, lemon thyme, dill and lemon rind. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove the lid and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the leek is golden and caramelised. Allow to cool slightly.
- 6
Place the cream, cream cheese, eggs and extra yolks, Gruyère, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the leek mixture and stir through.
- 7
Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (350°F). Pour the leek filling into the pastry case and bake for 40-45 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
- 8
While the pie bakes, heat 2cm of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fry the leek, in batches, for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
- 9
Carefully remove the pie from the tin and transfer to a plate. Arrange the fried leeks and shiso leaves on top and serve.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Caramelize leeks at exactly medium heat (275-300°F pan surface) for 15-20 minutes to develop Maillard reactions that create deep umami flavors without burning their natural sugars.technique275-300°F
- ✓Temper your cream cheese to 65-70°F before whisking to prevent lumps, as cold cream cheese won't emulsify properly with eggs and creates grainy custard texture.ingredient65-70°F
- ✓Blind bake pastry at 400°F for exactly 15 minutes to set the gluten structure and prevent soggy bottom, as custard fillings release moisture during baking.timing15 minutes at 400°F
- ✓Drop oven temperature to 300°F (not 350°F) for custard baking to prevent curdling - egg proteins coagulate at 140-180°F and high heat causes rapid water evaporation and cracking.technique300°F
- ✓Use a 4:4 whole egg to yolk ratio (4 eggs + 4 yolks) because extra yolks provide lecithin for emulsification and fat for richness without excess egg white proteins that toughen custards.ingredient4:4 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
8
people
Level
advanced
Share this recipe
Gruyère develops 40,000 flavor compounds during 12-month cave aging—that's why this leek pie tastes impossibly complex.
Leek and Gruyère Pie
A savory pie featuring leeks, Gruyère cheese, and a hot water pastry crust, perfect for a hearty meal.
The Story
This pie is pure medieval England meets Swiss Alpine chalet—when French monks perfected Gruyère in the 12th century Gruyères valley, English cooks were already cramming leeks into pastry cases because they were the only vegetables tough enough to survive British winters, creating this magnificent collision of peasant practicality and monastery cheese-making genius that somehow makes perfect sense.
Regional Twist
In Wales' Pembrokeshire, they swap the Gruyère for aged Caerphilly cheese and throw in wild garlic alongside the leeks, creating a properly Welsh version that's earthier than a rugby scrum.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 250g cream cheese, chopped and softened
- 2 cups (500ml) double cream
- 125g unsalted butter, chopped
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup (130g) wholemeal (wholewheat) plain (all-purpose) flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves
- sage sprigs and leaves, to decorate
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
📦Other(6)
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 4 eggs, plus 4 egg yolks extra
- 150g Gruyère, grated
- 1kg leeks (about 5 leeks), trimmed and thinly sliced
- 100g leeks, trimmed and sliced into thin strips
- micro (baby) shiso leaves (optional), to serve
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- 2
Invert the base of a 24cm round springform tin. Grease the tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
- 3
To make the hot water pastry, place the butter, salt and water in a medium saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the flours until a smooth dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick. Remove the top sheet of baking paper and discard.
- 4
Press the sage leaves and sprigs around the inside of the prepared tin. Using the remaining baking paper to help you, carefully line the tin with the pastry, trimming any excess. Top the baking paper with weights or rice to fill. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and set aside.
- 5
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil, leek, lemon thyme, dill and lemon rind. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove the lid and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the leek is golden and caramelised. Allow to cool slightly.
- 6
Place the cream, cream cheese, eggs and extra yolks, Gruyère, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the leek mixture and stir through.
- 7
Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (350°F). Pour the leek filling into the pastry case and bake for 40-45 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
- 8
While the pie bakes, heat 2cm of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fry the leek, in batches, for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
- 9
Carefully remove the pie from the tin and transfer to a plate. Arrange the fried leeks and shiso leaves on top and serve.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Caramelize leeks at exactly medium heat (275-300°F pan surface) for 15-20 minutes to develop Maillard reactions that create deep umami flavors without burning their natural sugars.technique275-300°F
- ✓Temper your cream cheese to 65-70°F before whisking to prevent lumps, as cold cream cheese won't emulsify properly with eggs and creates grainy custard texture.ingredient65-70°F
- ✓Blind bake pastry at 400°F for exactly 15 minutes to set the gluten structure and prevent soggy bottom, as custard fillings release moisture during baking.timing15 minutes at 400°F
- ✓Drop oven temperature to 300°F (not 350°F) for custard baking to prevent curdling - egg proteins coagulate at 140-180°F and high heat causes rapid water evaporation and cracking.technique300°F
- ✓Use a 4:4 whole egg to yolk ratio (4 eggs + 4 yolks) because extra yolks provide lecithin for emulsification and fat for richness without excess egg white proteins that toughen custards.ingredient4:4 ratio