Cheesy Roasted Pimento Pie

Okay... Now that this is a food blog, a little technicality wont hurt anyone... So lets introduce the simplest of the techniques. Making of the Short Crust Pastry. Well this is the easiest to bake, and variants are innumerable.

As this blog develops and you read on, all will realise that i'm a crazy cheese indulgent. The other day my shopping cart had 6 varieties of cheese- cheddar, feta, parmesan, processed, smoked and ricotta. And the cashier gave me a very stunned stare. As if I care. :-)

This is like my most loved recipe, its like comfort food and just one slice of this pie is like the ultimate happiness guaranteed... Sloth would be the sin.

Ingredients ( Serves 6 )

For the Short Crust Pastry

125 gms Flour
55 gms cold Cubed Unsalted Butter
3-4 tbsp chilled Water
Salt to taste

For the Stuffing

3 tsp Olive oil
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 tbsp granular sugar
1 tsp red chilli powder
3 medium sized Bell peppers
1 large onion
3 large tomatoes
50 gms tomato puree
10-15 Fresh basil lvs
200 gms Matured cheddar Cheese
Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Method

Short Crust Pastry

» Seive the flour into a bowl. Rub the cubed butter and flour together using just your fingers so as to get a mixture resembling bread crumbs.

»Add the salt and water and bring the entire mixture together to form a dough. But donot knead it, only bring it together.
»Wrap it up in a cling film and place in the fridge to chill for half an hour.
»After the rest, roll the dough 1" thick and line a 10" pie dish. Fill it up with beans, brush the edges with egg wash and bake in a 180 degree celsius preheated oven till slightly golden brown.

For the Stuffing

» Remove the seeds of the peppers and cut into 4 peices. Toss in a lil olive oil, salt and chilli flakes.

» Roast in a 180 degree celsius oven till charred.
»In a shallow pan, add the sugar to the oil and heat on low flame. Once the sugar caramelizes and turns slightly red add the garlic and the onions and saute till translucent. Add the salt and chilli powder.
»Add the fine chopped tomatoes and saute till the oil seperates out. Now add the tomato puree and saute till the raw taste of the tomatoes is no longer present.
»Chop up the roasted peppers and add to this mixture.
»Add half the amount of cheese and the basil lvs. The cheese would help to bind the mixture together. Allow to cool.

» Once cooled add this mixture into the blind baked pie. Top it up with the remaining grated cheese and bake in the same oven temperature till the cheese turns golden brown and the edges brown well.
» Slice into 6 wedges and serve warm.

Served best with a dollop if Sour Cream. Having more than one slice would just be pure indulgence.

Repeats guaranteed.