Wild garlic homity pie
I have definitely eaten more homity pies than pork pies over the years! Working at Cranks vegetarian wholefood restaurant many years ago, this was one of their classic offerings, alongside perennial favourites such as cheese scones, carrot cake and a date or apricot slice, and it was a go-to for our lovely (free!) lunches sat outside on the Dartington Hall estate on many occasions.
This version is my springtime favourite; aromatic, punchy wild garlic in place of traditional bulb garlic, with spring onions and a buttery wholemeal pastry. The original homity pie was rumoured to have come from the Women’s Land Army in the second World War and called ‘Devon pie’; borne out of scant ingredients and a need to fuel a long days work in the fields, no doubt they would have varied the ingredients, depending on what was available.
It’s certainly a hearty dish. I’ve cutsied it up a bit by make it in mini flan tins, or a muffin tin will suffice (you can make your choice as to whether you think it’s truly ‘pie’ or ‘flan/tart’). We used to make them individually like this at Cranks and I think it helps the pastry to cook without overdoing the filling. There are lots of tips and alternatives below, so it’s worth reading those before you get going.
You’ll also need to get out and forage for the garlic - a good walk in nature with a little bounty to show for it is always a great way to spend some time. Read my blog on that here.
This would make a lovely Easter meal, if you’re hosting and want a vegetarian option.
THE SECRET INGREDIENT:
Wild garlic: Rich in vitamins A and C, it also contains allicin, which has all sorts of supporting benefits for combatting heart health, immunity and a healthy gut function. Plus it’s wonderful potency may keep vampires or other unwanted admirers at bay! Also, the potatoes; cooking and cooling them changes their starch content, increasing the resistant starch and lowering their glycaemic index, so there’s a tiny win on the blood sugar balancing front.
Serves: 6
Cook time: about 1 hour 20, with pastry prep and chilling time
Particular cooking items you’ll need: Ideally, a food processor, a rolling pin, 6 mini flan tins approximately 9cm diameter x 3cm deep, or a muffin tin or a 20cm flan tin, baking parchment, beeswax wrap (or clingfilm).
Ingredients
For the pastry:
300g wholewheat flour
150g salted butter, cold from the fridge, cut into small cubes
1 egg
1-2 tbsp cold water
A little butter, for greasing the tins
For the filling:
350g potatoes, cut into small chunks, approximately 2-3cm - unpeeled, small, waxy potatoes are my personal favourites so I can lightly crush them without them becoming too mushy-mashy, but choose a variety that suits your own preference
100g spring onions, chopped - use both the white bottoms and the green tops
1 tbsp olive oil
15g butter
40g wild garlic leaves, washed well and chopped
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
120g Cheddar or other hard cheese
Small bunch parsley, chopped (optional - if I‘m making a salad-y side I often pop the parsley in there instead)
Salt and pepper to season
Method:
To make the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blitz again, adding 1-2 tbsp of cold water until it just comes together. Remove from the processor, press it into a rough ball (don’t overwork it), wrap in beeswax wrap (I don’t like using clingfilm but if you do, use that) and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, while you make the filling.
To make the filling, boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes, until tender when a knife tip is inserted. Drain and set aside to cool. In a large frying pan, fry the spring onions for 1 minute in the olive oil and butter, then add the wild garlic and fry for 1 minute, until just wilted. Add the potatoes, milk, nutmeg, half the cheese and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Give the potatoes a little squidge down to lightly crush some of them (use a fork or potato masher). If you’re not using parsley or herbs in a side dish, you can also add some chopped parsley too.
Preheat your oven to 180C. Place a large baking sheet inside to warm.
Cut the pastry into 6 roughly equal pieces. Form into rough balls (again, don’t overwork it). Place a little sheet of baking parchment on your worksurface, place a pastry piece on top, place another sheet of baking parchment on top. Give it a little squidge it down with your hand to start it off, then roll it out into approximately 14-15cm rough circle. Carefully press into a lightly greased mini flan tin and repeat with the others. If you’ve taken a little time to do this, it’s worth just placing them in the fridge again for 5 minutes to firm up a little.
Fill the pastry cases with the filling. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Place on the baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden on top and the pastry is cooked. Transfer to a cooling rack (still in their tins) for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove the tins and serve still warm from the oven with your side of choice, or cool, refrigerate and reheat later.
Notes:
Pastry making - if you don’t have a food processor, you can rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, but it will take a while so be patient (cold hands make the best pastry).
Pastry rolling - using small tins makes life a little easier as you don’t have one large piece to handle. The baking parchment method makes rolling easier and prevents the need to add extra flour to your worksurface to stop it sticking, which can also dry out the pastry if used excessively. Rolling it back and forth 4 times, then turning it 180 degrees and repeating the process, will help you get a good circle shape.
Pastry tears/holes/cracks - any little tears, holes or cracks in the pastry before you add the filling can be patched by pressing a little bit from the trimmings in to cover it - one of the joys of this recipe is it doesn’t have a runny egg filling like a flan, so there’s no risk of leakage.
Tins - I use little tins about 9cm in diameter by 3cm deep, with removable bases for ease. A muffin tin will also work, just make sure it is greased well so you can easily lever them out - you can also keep the pastry quite rustic at the edges with those, which I like. They are a little smaller than the flan tins so you might get an extra 1 or 2 pies. You could also use a 20cm flan tin and make one big pie, if you prefer, but use a fairly shallow one or make a little more filling mixture, and watch the pastry, as it might need a few minutes longer.
Wild garlic - the clue is in the name - it’s out where the wild things roam, so wash it really well before use. 40g of fresh, young wild garlic leaves will give you a good flavour. Cut it by half by all means, for a milder taste. When the garlic gets a little older, i.e. when flowers start appearing in more abundance, you might even prefer to blanch (lightly boil for 1 minute then drain and refresh under cold water) as the flavour and leaves can be stronger.
Suggested sides: To give yourself a little more protein and vegetable content, try a lentil salad with radishes and/or asparagus and mixed leaves, dressed with a little olive oil and lemon. Or broccoli with lentils with the olive oil and lemon, or a quinoa, chickpea and carrot salad with, tahini, herbs and lemon.
Other spices and herbs: Try a sprinkling of chilli flakes, paprika or cayenne, or a little rosemary or sage cooked down with onions. Chervil has a lovely fresh taste, akin to parsley, or add a little tarragon.
Using other alliums: I used spring onions for speed and a Spring take, but if you use standard onions or leeks, cook them down lower and slower before adding the wild or bulb garlic.
Using other greens: Spinach, chard or kale leaves can be wilted down with chopped cloves of garlic (2-3 good-sized cloves) instead of wild garlic.
Do they keep? Yes. They keep really well in the fridge for a couple of days and can be gently reheated. They do also freeze well; cook, cool, wrap and freeze, then defrost in the fridge and warm through when needed.
