Gruyère cheese caves age at exactly 59°F for 12 months, developing those nutty crystals that make this pie irresistible.
Leek and Gruyère Pie
A savory pie filled with leeks, Gruyère cheese, and a creamy mixture, topped with fried leeks.
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
- 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(4)
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves
- sage sprigs and leaves, to decorate
- sea salt
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 8
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.
- 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
- ✓Cook leeks covered for the first 5 minutes to steam and break down their tough cellulose structure, then uncovered for 15-20 minutes to caramelize natural sugars through the Maillard reaction.technique5 minutes covered + 15-20 minutes uncovered
- ✓Temper your cream cheese to exactly room temperature (68-72°F) before whisking to prevent lumps - cold cream cheese won't emulsify properly with the eggs and cream.ingredient68-72°F
- ✓Reduce oven temperature from 200°C to 180°C before adding filling because custard-based fillings curdle above 185°F internal temperature, causing the proteins to separate.timing200°C to 180°C reduction
- ✓Use the inverted springform base technique to create a completely flat surface - the rim indent from a normal setup can cause uneven pastry thickness and weak spots.equipment
- ✓Rest the finished pie for exactly 10 minutes to allow the custard proteins to firm up and reabsorb moisture, preventing a soggy slice when cut.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 those nutty crystals that make this pie irresistible.
Leek and Gruyère Pie
A savory pie filled with leeks, Gruyère cheese, and a creamy mixture, topped with fried leeks.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
- 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(4)
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves
- sage sprigs and leaves, to decorate
- sea salt
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 8
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.
- 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
- ✓Cook leeks covered for the first 5 minutes to steam and break down their tough cellulose structure, then uncovered for 15-20 minutes to caramelize natural sugars through the Maillard reaction.technique5 minutes covered + 15-20 minutes uncovered
- ✓Temper your cream cheese to exactly room temperature (68-72°F) before whisking to prevent lumps - cold cream cheese won't emulsify properly with the eggs and cream.ingredient68-72°F
- ✓Reduce oven temperature from 200°C to 180°C before adding filling because custard-based fillings curdle above 185°F internal temperature, causing the proteins to separate.timing200°C to 180°C reduction
- ✓Use the inverted springform base technique to create a completely flat surface - the rim indent from a normal setup can cause uneven pastry thickness and weak spots.equipment
- ✓Rest the finished pie for exactly 10 minutes to allow the custard proteins to firm up and reabsorb moisture, preventing a soggy slice when cut.timing10 minutes