Executive head chef of the Holborn Dining Room in London, Calum Franklin is a self-described ‘pastry deviant’, specialising in intricately decorated pies and Wellingtons with unusual fillings. The restaurant sells over 200 of his creations a day.
See more of Calum Franklin’s recipes
Calum Franklin
Executive head chef of the Holborn Dining Room in London, Calum Franklin is a self-described ‘pastry deviant’, specialising in intricately decorated pies and Wellingtons with unusual fillings. The restaurant sells over 200 of his creations a day.
See more of Calum Franklin’s recipes
Subscribe to Sainsbury’s magazine
Rate this recipe
Print
Ingredients
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
15g unsalted butter
500ml double cream
500ml semi-skimmed milk
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme
3 garlic cloves, crushed
20g fine sea salt
1.9kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled
150g vegetarian extra mature cheddar, coarsely grated
2 x 500g packs ready-made shortcrust pastry
2-3 large egg yolks
Share:
Step by step
Get ahead
Start this recipe a day ahead so that the dauphinoise can chill overnight
You need to start this recipe a day ahead to allow for chilling time. Sauté the onions with the oil, butter and a pinch of salt until soft and well browned, stirring occasionally (about 30 minutes).
Meanwhile, put the cream, milk, rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt into a wide pan (a deep frying pan or saucepan) and warm together on a low heat while you prepare the potatoes, but don’t let it boil.
Slice the potatoes on a mandoline (or with a knife) to 2.5-3mm thickness and drop into the cream mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender. The cream will have thickened considerably, due to the starch from the potatoes. Drain into a colander set over a large bowl, keeping the cream mixture. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
Line a deep 30cm x 20cm base ovenproof dish with baking paper and lay a third of the potato into the dish. Scatter half the cheese across the surface and pour in a third of the cream mixture. Layer in another third of the potato and then spread all the onions across the surface. Scatter on the remaining cheese and layer the rest of the potato on top. Pour another third of the cream mix all over, then press a sheet of baking paper onto the surface. Bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven, remove the paper; add the last of the cream mix. Press the paper back on, reduce oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5; cook for 20 minutes or until the potato is soft. The dish should be saucy and not dry.
Cool the whole dish on a rack to room temperature – at least 2-3 hours. Then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, preferably overnight, until really firm.
Roll out 500g pastry on a floured surface to make a large rectangle 5mm thick. Trim to make a pie base 35cm by 25cm. Transfer to a lined baking tray and chill for 10 minutes in the fridge or freezer. Discard the top paper from the dauphinoise, loosen the paper at the edges of the dish and quickly flip over onto the pastry.
Roll out the remaining pastry into a rectangle large enough to cover the potatoes and join with the base pastry. Trim to neaten and crimp the edges together (use pastry trimmings for decoration). Beat the egg yolks with a pinch of salt and brush the whole pie with the glaze. Chill for 10 minutes, or until firm, then glaze again for a really rich colour. Cut a steam hole, then bake at 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Our pies are the best pies in Britain (well, our pie chef has won five categories at the British Pie Awards and was crowned Supreme Champion). Packed in boxes of four, each pie serves one generously.
The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven. Instead of simply layering grated cheese and milk or cream with the potatoes, you need to make a smooth cheese sauce.
The cheese and onion pie or pasty used to be a very important food for the working classes of Northern England, especially Yorkshire and Lancashire: it's easy to make and the ingredients are cheap compared to meaty fillings. It's the pie equivalent of the Welsh Rabbit/Rarebit.
Fortunately, you can still make a delicious gratin dauphinoise without cream. Substitute fat-free or non-dairy milk, a small amount of light butter, and plenty of herbs and spices so you wind up with a tasty dish that you don't have to feel guilty about eating.
In her cookbook, Dolly's Dixie Fixin's, the country music legend shared one of her favorite recipes for walnut pie that's very similar to a classic southern pecan pie. It couldn't be any easier to make, and her holiday table is rarely complete without it. Find the recipe for her delicious walnut-studded pie below.
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.
If your roasting tray is too small the liquid won't reduce as quickly, so be sure to pick a large one. Also, don't forget to simmer on the hob for 5 minutes (step 4) before baking. If your dauphinoise is too watery, pop the pan back onto the hob after baking and simmer to reduce to your desired consistency.
Dauphinoise potatoes fall somewhere between scalloped potatoes and gratin, as the spuds aren't precooked, though they do include cheese. However, traditional versions of dauphinoise are cheese-free, making them essentially the same as scalloped potatoes.
Although very rich itself, I think dauphinoise potatoes works really well with rich meats such as roast lamb, steak or beef shortribs. However, it will also go perfectly with baked salmon (you could add a little lemon zest to the salmon to cut through the creaminess of the potatoes).
The Cornish Pasty originates from Cornwall (Southwest England) and can be traced back as far as the 1200's. Mining was once a thriving industry in Cornwall and at that time pasties were baked by the wives and mothers of the tin miners.
There will always be great debate about the origin of the pasty, but one easy way to detect the Devon pasty from the Cornish is that the Devon pasty has a top-crimp and is oval in shape, whereas the Cornish pasty is semi-circular and side-crimped along the curve.
The British use double cream in recipes the way we use heavy cream or whipping cream here in the US, but they also allow it to accompany dessert the way we might use ice cream.
Evaporated milk is an ideal heavy cream substitute in recipes that use heavy cream as a liquid. It won't whip well, but it's a great way to add moisture to baked goods. Substitute an equal amount of evaporated milk for heavy cream. Best for: baking.
Mix together equal parts milk and Greek yogurt to substitute for heavy cream in sauces and savory recipes. Protein-rich Greek yogurt will add richness and texture without as much fat as heavy cream—but heads up: it's not ideal for baking.
The winner of the 34th Official Great Aussie Pie Competition has finally been unveiled. After a tough (but delicious) four days of judging, Paradise Bakehouse in Innes Park, Queensland has been chosen as the winner of Best Plain Meat Pie for 2023.
Home of the award-winning Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag, The Elegant Farmer is noted by Gourmet Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Food Network and Milwaukee Magazine as having “the best pie in America.” The award-winning Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag has been the farmer's signature item for decades, baking over a ...
Boar's Head Caramelized Onion Jack Cheese is made with Monterey Jack Cheese that has been slightly aged for a creamy texture. Caramelized onions are mixed in early in the process for rich toasty notes and subtle sweetness in every bite.
The 2023 world cheese champion has been revealed. Winning cheesemakers from Gangstad Gårdsysteri, husband and wife Ole and Maren Gangstad, with their champion cheese Nidelven Blå. A Norwegian blue cheese bested contenders from around the world Friday to become the world's new No. 1 cheese.
Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking
Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
Prep time: 1 hr 45 mins
