The third of a series of recipes brought to you by Will Lewis of Willys Pies using Big Green Eggs 30cm Pie Dish created in partnership with Falcon Enamelware. Designed for serving family-sized sweet or savoury pies straight from EGG to table.
Willy’s Pies x Big Green Egg x Falcon : Roasted Cauliflower, Leek and Comté Pie
ROAST CAULIFLOWER, LEEK AND COMTÉ PIE
I love roasted cauliflower. By working it on the barbecue, you get this amazing flavour profile. I lightly dusted it with a bit of nutmeg, really encouraging those flavours. Added to that, you get the nuttiness of the cheese, the sweetness of the leeks, you level it out with lemon juice, and you finish it with mustard to give it a little kick. This is such a simple recipe – there’s not a huge amount going on, but you don’t need there to be, because each element brings so much flavour.
SERVES 4-6 PEOPLE
EGG setup: Indirect
Recommended charcoal:
EGG target temperature: 180°C
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
FOR THE FILLING
1 cauliflower, quartered
1 litre of milk
A few sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 whole nutmeg, plus ½ grated nutmeg
4 cloves of garlic, 2 finely chopped, 2 left whole
150g butter
150g flour
250g comté cheese, finely chopped
1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 large or 2 small leeks, chopped
Rapeseed oil
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE PASTRY
2 rolls of high-quality all-butter puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten
Butter, for greasing
ROAST THE CAULIFLOWER
Set up your EGG for indirect cooking, with the ConvEGGtor in a legs-up position, topped by a Stainless Steel Grid. The target temperature is 180°C.
Coat the cauliflower quarters with oil, salt and a good sprinkle of nutmeg, then roast for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool, then break them down into florets.
MAKE THE FILLING
Pour the milk into a large pan along with the whole nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme and the 2 whole garlic cloves. Gently heat until steaming but not boiling. Remove from the heat and leave for 30 minutes to infuse. Strain to remove the aromatics.
In another pan, use the butter and flour to make a roux, then gradually add the infused milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps developing.
Add the cheese and stir until melted, then stir in the lemon juice and add a touch more grated nutmeg. Season with salt and black pepper
Warm a splash of rapeseed oil in a pan, then soften the leeks with 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Add the cauliflower florets, then pour over the cheese sauce.
ASSEMBLE THE PIE
Cut the pastry into two sheets – one big enough to line the bottom and side of the dish with a little overhang at the top, one
Grease the pie tin with butter then line it with the larger sheet of pastry.
Add the filling, then brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg to wash. Cover with the pie top and press the overhanging edges together firmly then fold down so that the filling is completely sealed. Brush the top with more of the egg wash and season with a little salt.
BAKE THE PIE
Use a fork to pierce a couple of holes in the centre of the pie lid. Place the pie dish on the grid and bake for 40-45 minutes, until piping hot and golden brown.
YOU MAY LIKE
White with Blue Rim Pie Set
€86,00
FURTHER READING
To me, this pie just screams spring. We’ve coloured the lamb, then braised it, all on the EGG, then thickened the cooking liquor, added butter beans...
I do like to be inventive, but I also love the classics. There’s nothing like making a proper crowd-pleaser that ticks all the boxes. This is one of those pies-...
