Gruyère cheese caves age at exactly 59°F for 12 months, developing crystals that create those signature flavor bursts.
Leek and Gruyère Pie
A savory pie featuring leeks and Gruyère cheese, encased in a hot water pastry and topped with fried leeks.
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This British-Swiss alliance was forged in medieval Alpine monasteries where French monks perfected Gruyère while English peasants mastered leek cultivation—centuries later, Victorian railway expansion brought Swiss cheese to London markets, and some brilliant cook realized that caramelized leeks wrapped in hot water pastry could cradle that nutty Alpine treasure like a proper cross-Channel love affair.
Regional Twist
In Switzerland's Valais canton, they replace the wholemeal flour with rye and substitute wild ramp leaves for cultivated leeks, then age the Gruyère for eighteen months instead of twelve.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup (180ml) water
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 250g cream cheese, chopped and softened
- 150g Gruyère, grated
- 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 (150g) wholemeal (wholewheat) plain (all-purpose) flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves
- sage sprigs and leaves, to decorate
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
📦Other(4)
- 4 eggs, plus 4 egg yolks extra
- 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. 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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Pour the leek filling into the tart case and bake for 40-45 minutes or until set and golden. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- 7
Meanwhile, to make the fried leeks, heat 2cm of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat. Fry the leek, in batches, for 3-5 minutes or until crisp. Remove and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
- 8
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 (300-325°F pan surface) for 15-20 minutes because higher temps burn the sugars before proper moisture evaporation, while lower temps steam instead of caramelize.technique300-325°F
- ✓Temper your cream cheese to exactly room temperature (68-72°F) before whisking because cold cream cheese creates lumps that won't dissolve, resulting in a grainy custard texture.ingredient68-72°F
- ✓Blind bake the pastry at 200°C for exactly 15 minutes with weights because this sets the gluten structure and prevents soggy bottom syndrome when the wet custard filling is added.timing15 minutes
- ✓Reduce oven to 180°C for the final bake because custard proteins coagulate optimally at 160-165°F internal temp, and higher oven heat causes curdling and weeping.technique180°C
- ✓Rest the finished pie for exactly 10 minutes because the custard continues cooking from residual heat and firms up, preventing collapse when sliced.timing10 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Gruyère cheese caves age at exactly 59°F for 12 months, developing crystals that create those signature flavor bursts.
Leek and Gruyère Pie
A savory pie featuring leeks and Gruyère cheese, encased in a hot water pastry and topped with fried leeks.
The Story
This British-Swiss alliance was forged in medieval Alpine monasteries where French monks perfected Gruyère while English peasants mastered leek cultivation—centuries later, Victorian railway expansion brought Swiss cheese to London markets, and some brilliant cook realized that caramelized leeks wrapped in hot water pastry could cradle that nutty Alpine treasure like a proper cross-Channel love affair.
Regional Twist
In Switzerland's Valais canton, they replace the wholemeal flour with rye and substitute wild ramp leaves for cultivated leeks, then age the Gruyère for eighteen months instead of twelve.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup (180ml) water
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 250g cream cheese, chopped and softened
- 150g Gruyère, grated
- 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 (150g) wholemeal (wholewheat) plain (all-purpose) flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves
- sage sprigs and leaves, to decorate
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
📦Other(4)
- 4 eggs, plus 4 egg yolks extra
- 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. 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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Pour the leek filling into the tart case and bake for 40-45 minutes or until set and golden. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- 7
Meanwhile, to make the fried leeks, heat 2cm of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat. Fry the leek, in batches, for 3-5 minutes or until crisp. Remove and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
- 8
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 (300-325°F pan surface) for 15-20 minutes because higher temps burn the sugars before proper moisture evaporation, while lower temps steam instead of caramelize.technique300-325°F
- ✓Temper your cream cheese to exactly room temperature (68-72°F) before whisking because cold cream cheese creates lumps that won't dissolve, resulting in a grainy custard texture.ingredient68-72°F
- ✓Blind bake the pastry at 200°C for exactly 15 minutes with weights because this sets the gluten structure and prevents soggy bottom syndrome when the wet custard filling is added.timing15 minutes
- ✓Reduce oven to 180°C for the final bake because custard proteins coagulate optimally at 160-165°F internal temp, and higher oven heat causes curdling and weeping.technique180°C
- ✓Rest the finished pie for exactly 10 minutes because the custard continues cooking from residual heat and firms up, preventing collapse when sliced.timing10 minutes