Ingredients
Method
Wholemeal pastry
1.Combine the flours and a pinch of salt and either rub in the butter and lard with your fingertips, or pulse everything together in the food processor.
2.When the mixture forms fine crumbs, add the egg yolk mixed with the water. Mix together quickly and lightly using a round-bladed knife, or pulse in the food processor just until it starts to clump together, then tip out onto the bench and knead lightly. You may need more water to achieve a soft, fairly moist dough, but add it a little at a time.
3.Press pastry into a rectangular block, wrap it well (I use waxed paper) and chill for at least 1 hour before using it.
Flamiche de picardie
4.To make the filling: cut the leeks into thin rounds, including the top green parts but discarding any very tough or battered leaves. Put them in a large basin of cold water. Knead them a little with your hands to separate the rings and rinse out any dirt. Lift the leeks out of the water – leaving the dirt behind – and put them in a colander to drain a little.
5.Melt the butter in a large, shallow pan and add the leeks. Stir them over a gentle heat until they are cooked and soft – this will take about 10 minutes.
6.Shake over the flour and stir it well to combine with the leeks. Cook a little, then pour in the milk and stir until it comes to the boil, simmer for a few minutes until the mixture thickens and season to taste with mace, salt and pepper. Finally, mix through the beaten egg. Set aside to cool completely.
7.To make the tart: preheat the oven to 190°C and if you have a pizza stone, put it on the centre rack. Remove the pastry from the fridge 20 minutes before rolling it out.
8.Cut the pastry in half and roll out each half thinly. Trim each sheet of pastry to a neat rectangle – I used a piece of A4 paper as a pattern. Re-roll the trimmings and cut into strips 1cm wide. Place one pastry sheet on a baking paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the edges with cold water and set the strips along the edges, pressing them down gently.
9.Taste the filling to see if it needs more seasoning, and then scoop it into the centre of the edged rectangle, spreading it out evenly to the edges with a spatula. Brush the top of the edging with more water and place the other sheet of pastry on top. Press down gently all around and trim the edges of the pie again.
10.Any remaining strips of dough can be laid on top of the pie to show the cutting lines. Stick them down with water, along with any other decorative pastry shapes that take your fancy.
11.Chill the pie on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes, then remove it from the fridge, prick with a fork in a few places and brush the whole top surface carefully with the beaten egg mixed with a pinch of salt. A small watercolour paintbrush ensures that you get a thin layer of glaze over everything, and adding a little saffron-infused milk to the egg gives an even darker golden finish – very desirable in the 16th century.
12.If you have a pizza stone you could just slide the pie on its baking paper directly onto the stone. Bake the pie for about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet or pizza stone halfway through, until the pastry is nicely browned and it smells cooked.
13.Serve warm rather than hot. Reheat the pie for about 10 minutes if you have made it in advance.
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