Cheese and pickle is a classic combination more usually found in a sandwich than encased in shortcrust pastry. These pies pair not one but two cheeses with tangy Branston for a different take on the duo. . SERVES 12. For the pastry. To serve. 1 Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin. For the shortcrust pastry, put the flour in a bowl, add the butter and salt and rub between your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the whole egg and mix with your fingers. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out 12 circles to fill the holes of the muffin tin. Re-roll the offcuts and cut out 12 lids to cover each of the pies. 3 Fill each pie with pickle and some of the cheeses, then brush the edges with beaten egg and top each one with a pastry lid. Cut a slit in each lid to allow steam to escape during cooking.
4 Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Serve with the chutney, pickled onions, celery, tomatoes and pears. The ultimate way to finish a meal in style. If you can’t get the cheeses listed, substitute them with similar ones, but try to keep the mixture of soft, hard and blue the same.
SERVES 8. For the vine-leaf baked cheese. For the rosemary-baked cheese. For the griddled halloumi. For the fried cheese. Suggestions to serve. 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To make the vine-leaf baked cheese, line a 20cm x 15cm x 7cm deep ovenproof dish with the vine leaves. Pack in the cheese and pour over the wine and cream. Top with the speck and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes.
