Ham hock, cauliflower and cheese pie
Ham hock is wonderful in a cauliflower cheese, and we’ve taken things one step further by putting everything inside a pie! We use the leaves of the cauliflower too, as they’re tasty and add their lovely green colour to the filling. Serve this pie with some mashed potatoes and peas, or a herb-flecked potato salad. You could also make your own shortcrust pastry.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 500g of cauliflower, trimmed into small florets and leaves reserved
- 100g of cauliflower leaves, try to pick the smaller ones
- 2 leeks, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
- 600ml of whole milk
- 70g of butter, plus extra for cooking the leeks
- 70g of Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
- 200g of cheddar, grated
- 1 tbsp of English mustard
- 400g of ham hock, cooked and shredded
- 500g of shortcrust pastry
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
Method
Set up a steamer and steam the cauliflower florets and their leaves for 8 minutes, until just tender. Allow them to steam dry on a plate (they shouldn’t be fully cooked through at this stage)
- 500g of cauliflower, trimmed into small florets and leaves reserved
- 100g of cauliflower leaves, try to pick the smaller ones
Heat a frying pan and add a knob of butter, and cook the leeks until soft, 15–20 minutes
- 2 leeks, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
Make the béchamel by gently heating the milk in a saucepan. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter. Once foaming, add the flour and cook out, stirring constantly for a few minutes
- 600ml of whole milk
- 70g of butter, plus extra for cooking the leeks
- 70g of Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
Gradually add the warmed milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Once all the milk has been added, continue to cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the Cheddar and mustard and continue cooking and stirring until the cheese has melted. Season and set aside
- 200g of cheddar, grated
- 1 tbsp of English mustard
Combine the béchamel with the leeks, cauliflower, cauliflower leaves and the ham hock and mix well
- 400g of ham hock, cooked and shredded
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6
Roll out two thirds of the pastry, and line the pie dish. Roll out the remaining pastry to make the lid
- 500g of shortcrust pastry
Fill the pie, topping with the lid and make a hole in the top for steam to escape. Crimp the edges using your fingers. Glaze with egg
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown
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