Ingredients
For the filling
- 400g waxy potatoes, diced
- 300g carrots, diced
- 150g turnips, diced
- 200g small broccoli florets
- 15g butter*
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 175g Cheddar cheese, grated*
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 50ml milk or water
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 200ml double cream*
- Sea salt
For the pastry
- 125g plain flour
- 125g wholemeal flour
- 150g cold butter, diced
- 1 egg, beaten
* For vegan alternatives see editor's note below
Method
Popular in the seventies and eighties, homity pies were often seen as somewhat worthy – leathery, unappetising with a smug crust. But we thought this pie deserved a second look. This recipe is the grandson of those early pies and, we bashfully believe, a great improvement. We’ve cut down on the potatoes to make it less heavy and added some broccoli and other root veg – although you can vary these as you like. Celeriac and swede would also work well in this deep-filled homity pie. A great vegetarian dish that can be enjoyed by all.
To make the pastry, put the flours and butter into a food processor with a generous pinch of salt and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and just enough cold water to bind the mixture together. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film, and leave it to chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes, carrots and turnips and bring the water back to the boil. Cook for 4 minutes, then add the broccoli.
Continue to cook until the vegetables are just done but still with a little bite to them – this will take about another 2 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.
While the vegetables are cooking, melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, until the onions have softened and are lightly coloured. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
Put all the cooled vegetables into a large bowl. Add 100g of the cheese and the parsley, then mix thoroughly and set aside.
Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 20cm cake tin or a deep pie dish. Spoon the filling over the pastry. Whisk the milk and mustard together until you have a thin paste, then stir this into the cream. Season with a little salt. Pour this mixture in a slow and steady stream over the filling so it soaks through the layers of vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake the pie in the oven for 40–45 minutes until the pastry is crisp and lightly coloured and the cheese has melted and started to brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.
For more vegetarian recipes from the Hairy Bikerstry their vegetable Thai curry, red onion and beetroot tart, vegetarian chillior avocado poke bowl.
Whether you like them boiled, mashed or stewed, there’s plenty to discover with our other potato recipes.
The Hairy Bikers’ British Classics by Si King and Dave Myers is published by Seven Dials in hardback at £22
Visit our vegetarian sectionfor more meat-free meal ideas
Make a vegan homity pie
Homity pie has been a favourite in vegetarian restaurants like Cranks for decades, and the recent growth in veganism has seen so many dairy-free alternatives to ingredients like butter, milk and cream that it's actually quite easy to adapt this recipe into a veganhomity pie. Try this vegan homity pie recipefrom Aimee Ryan, author of Great British Vegan.
The history of homity pie
The origins of the homity pie are vague, it's widely believed to have originated in the South West, either Cornwall or Devon, with 'Devon pie' being a common name for it. What we do know is that it really came into its own during World War II as it primarily uses vegetable ingredients which weren't rationed, much like another popular vegetable pie from the era, Woolton pie. With the nation being encouraged to 'dig for victory' this veg-packed pie was just the ticket as it includes easy-to-grow vegetables like potatoes, turnips, leeks and carrots. The rationed ingredients like cream and cheese would have been used sparingly for flavour.
In the 1960s homity pie saw a revival when Cranks Vegetarian Restaurant added it to its menu at a time when vegetarianism was gaining popularity, particularly among the hippie subculture.
In more recent years homity pie has been popularised by the Hairy Bikers in their Best of British series, and it's this deep-filled version that doesn't skimp on the previously rationed ingredients that is popular today as a tasty and frugal vegetarian pie.
Want something different? Try one of these delicious pie recipes.
FAQs
Homity pie is a traditional British open vegetable pie. The pastry case contains a filling of potatoes and an onion and leek mixture, which is then covered with cheese. There is little known on the exact history of the dish. Some call it 'Devon Pie', believing it to be an English country recipe originating from Devon.
What is the meaning of the word homity? ›
Wherever the origins of Homity Pie lay, the romantic side of me likes to think of 'Homity' as meaning home or homely, especially as it's such a humble, yet nutritious, vegetarian pie. It's so simple, homely, and nutritious, just like a great big hug in pie form!
Can you reheat homity pie? ›
This pie is great for cold slicing and adding to a salad or can be enjoyed warm also. This lovely pie will feed 1 person. For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see Ingredients in bold. To reheat, use a preheated oven gas mark 4/180°C.
What do you think was likely to be in Woolton pie? ›
What do you think was likely to be in Woolton Pie? Woolton Pie contained a mix of home-grown vegetables. It almost always contained carrots and potatoes. Other vegetables might include cauliflower, onion, swede or whatever was available at the time.
How many calories are in homity pie? ›
Above and beyond delicious!
| Typical Values | Per 100g | Per Pie |
|---|
| Energy | 916 KJ / 219 KCal | 2282 KJ / 545 KCal |
| Fat | 12.6g | 31.4g |
| of which saturates | 6.1g | 15.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 18.5g | 46g |
3 more rowsThe Homity Pie :- An open topped by made with potato, Cheddar cheese, onion and a little garlic and a few herbs. We put our fill in a super tasty wholemeal shortcrust pastry. Top off with more strong Cheddar cheese to get a yummy, crispy, cheesy top when baked..mmmm.
Can you cook homity pie from frozen? ›
How do I reheat this Homity Pie? From chilled: Place into a 160ºC oven for around 20 minutes or until piping hot. From frozen: Allow to defrost and then heat in a 160ºC oven for about 30 minutes or until piping hot.
What is the meaning of hominy? ›
hominy. noun. hom·i·ny ˈhäm-ə-nē : kernels of dried corn from which the hulls have been removed by soaking and boiling in water containing lye.
What does Cheez mean in English? ›
There are always several meanings of each word in English, the correct meaning of Cheez in English is Thing, and in Urdu we write it چیز. The other meanings are Cheez, Shai, Kaar, Feal, Waqea, Maamla, Haalat and Jaedad. By form, the word Thing is an noun. It is spelled as [thing].
What does homey mean? ›
Definitions of homey. adjective. having a feeling of home; cozy and comfortable. “a homey little inn” synonyms: homelike, homely, homy comfortable, comfy.
Remove the pie from it's foil dish and heat in a microwave (800 watts) for 8 minutes. Return to the foil dish, place on a baking tray and into pre-heated oven at 200ºC / 400ºF / Gas Mark 6 and bake for 15-20 minutes, always ensuring the pie is piping hot.
Can you reheat a pie twice? ›
If food has been hygienically prepared, cooled quickly after cooking (or reheating) and stored cold, reheating more than once should not increase the risk of illness. However, prolonged storage and repeated reheating will affect the taste, texture, and sometimes the nutritional quality of foods.
Is it safe to warm up fish pie? ›
The fish will be dryer when reheated but it should still taste good. It's important the cooked fish pie is cooled as quickly as possible then covered and refrigerated overnight. Then when you reheat it must be until it is piping hot throughout.
What is Americans favorite pie? ›
Apple. There are five states they prefer apple pie to other flavors. Apples came to the United States with Europeans. Apple pie has English origins, according to Smithsonian magazine, but the dessert is an American classic.
What pie is North Carolina known for? ›
Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie first broke onto the culinary scene in 2011 to wide acclaim. With a Saltine cracker crust and whipped cream topping, this North Carolina original boasts a lemon-lime filling.
What were the three Stooges pies made of? ›
Moe Howard of the Three Stooges supposedly had his own secret recipe for the pies he famously threw in people's faces. “A vat of whipped cream, marshmallow sauce and pumpkin filling,” the executive director of the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center claimed in an article for the Washington Post.
What is the origin of homity pie? ›
What pie has the most calories? ›
Pecan Pie (About 503 calories per 1/8 of a standard pie)
And sadly, one healthy ingredient doesn't transform a decadent dessert into a health food. Pecan pie is particularly offensive because it contains lots of butter and is loaded with sugars from brown sugar, corn syrup, and molasses.
How many calories in a Marie Callender pie? ›
Marie Callender's
| Marie Callender'sChicken Pot PieRegular 10-oz pie 1 pie (283g) Nutrition Facts 600 calories | Log food |
|---|
| Marie Callender'sBanana Cream Pie 1⁄ 8 pie (124g) Nutrition Facts 340 calories | Log food |
| Marie Callender'sChocolate Satin Pie 1⁄ 6 pie (121g) Nutrition Facts 530 calories | Log food |
106 more rowsAn umble pie is a pie filled with chopped or minced offal, especially of deer but often other meats, called umbles in Middle English, which derived from the word numble (after the Middle French nombles), meaning "deer's innards".
Frito pie is a dish popular in the Midwestern, Southeastern, and Southwestern United States, whose basic ingredients are chili, cheese, and corn chips (traditionally Fritos, hence the name). Additions can include salsa, refried beans, sour cream, onion, rice, or jalapeños.
What is a hula pie made of? ›
Hula Pie is made with our favorite macadamia nut ice cream stacked high on a scrumptious chocolate cookie crust. A layer of cool chocolate fudge sits atop the ice cream giving form to this delight. Whipped cream dances at its base before decadent, hot chocolate fudge is poured over the top and drizzles to each side.
What is Derby pie made of? ›
Derby pie is a chocolate and walnut open-faced custard pie baked in a (pre-baked) pie shell. The pie was created in the Melrose Inn of Prospect, Kentucky, United States, by George Kern with the help of his parents, Walter and Leaudra. It is often associated with the Kentucky Derby.
