Spinach Homity Pies

Homity pies are traditional British pies consisting of an onion and potato mixture encased in pastry. In my version  I have added some creamy spinach instead of the onions. The pies are quite hefty, so I served them as a main course with salad. However you could also make smaller ones which would be perfect for a picnic.


You will need to have made some bechamel sauce in advance.


Makes 4 pies


Ingredients


Pastry


-100g wholemeal flour
-150g plain flour
-150g cold unsalted butter, cubed
-1tsp salt
-1 egg
-1 tbsp cold milk


Filling


-200g spinach, cooked and drained
-300ml home-made white sauce or bechamel: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/whitesauce_1298
-500g floury potatoes, peeled and diced
-100g Lancashire cheese or cheddar, cubed
-2 - 3 tbsp milk
-Knob of butter
-8 tsp mustard (Regular or wholegrain)
-Salt & pepper, nutmeg
Chopped chives to serve. 


1. To make the pastry, put the flours and salt in a food processor. Beat the egg and milk together then gradually add to the flour, and pulse until combined. If making by hand, tip the flours into a large bowl and add the butter and egg. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the milk and bring the pastry together. Knead three or four times to bring it together then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. 
2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and mash with the butter and milk until smooth. Season well. 
3. Mix the cooked spinach with the bechamel and season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4. Remove the cling film from the pastry and divide into 4. On a floured surface roll each ball into a 15 - 20cm round. Leaving a 5cm crust around the edge, spread each round with 2 tsp of mustard, then top with 1/4 of the spinach mixture then 1/4 of the mashed potato. 

5. To form the pies bring up the pastry around the filling and firmly press together any edges. Top with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and the cheese in bubbling. Serve with the chopped chives sprinkled on top.