Butter Pie

Butter pie is a traditional savoury pie that originated in the North West of England, particularly in Lancashire to cater for Catholics not eating meat on Fridays. It is a simple dish made with a pastry crust filled with a mixture primarily consisting of potatoes, onions and butter.
The mixture is then baked inside a pastry crust, which can be either shortcrust or puff pastry. Eat with pickled red cabbage or beetroot.
This recipe includes making your own pasty but you can also use ready-made pastry.
Print Recipe
Servings 4
Calories 1089 kcal

Equipment

  • Deep pie dish 23cm/9" If doubling this recipe use 30cm/12" dish
  • Baking beans

Ingredients
  

Shortcrust pastry - if making from scratch

  • 400 g plain flour
  • 200 g cold butter cut into cubes
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 eggs
  • 50 ml water

Alternative with ready made pastry

  • 2 packs Ready-made short crust pastry approx. 350mm x 230mm each.

Filling

  • 500 g potatoes Maris piper recommended
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 onion
  • 125 g butter
  • Salt and pepper

Egg wash

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water or milk

Instructions
 

Pastry (or use ready-made)

  • Rub the butter into the flour and salt with your fingertips until the butter has broken down and evenly mixed through the flour.
  • Beat the egg and water then knead together until it forms a dough.
  • Divide the dough into roughly ⅔ and ⅓. Wrap in parchment paper and leave in fridge for 30 minutes.

Ready made Pastry

  • Pastry are usually sold as rectangular sheets. You could use a rectangular dish with (probably) double the filling. Otherwise, you will need to cut a 50mm strip off the long edge of each of the sheets and then join together with one of the sheets, top and bottom. Dampen the edges and press together and gently roll the join. Not ideal but will be fine for the base.

Filling

  • Peel the potatoes and slice. Boil with plenty of water and the stock cube, until they are just cooked but hold their shape (about 8 minutes). Drain off the water and keep warm.
  • Peel and slice the onion. Melt half of the butter in a pan and gently cook the sliced onions until soft.
  • Lightly mix together the cooked potatoes and onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cool.

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
  • Grease the pie dish with a little butter. Roll out the larger piece of pastry then line the dish with the pastry.
  • Line the pastry with baking paper and then cover with baking beans. Bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down a bit. Remove the paper and baking beans.
  • Lower the oven temperature to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas mark 5
  • Fill the pie with the potato and onion filling. Thinly slice the remainder of the butter arranging evenly on top.
  • Cover the filling with the smaller piece of rolled out dough and crimp the edges tight with your fingers. Make 4 small slash holes in the pastry. Use pastry off cuts to make shapes to decorate the top.
  • Mix the egg and water/milk very well. Brush the egg wash over the top pastry. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 1089kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 17gFat: 69gSaturated Fat: 43gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 3gCholesterol: 257mgSodium: 1026mgPotassium: 723mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2152IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 6mg
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