Welsh onion cake with caerphilly

Take this Welsh classic to the next level by adding sharp, salty cheese and sweet leeks. It’s the perfect dish for St David’s Day or an easy family dinner

Prep:30 mins
Cook:1 hrs 5 mins

Serves 6
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 542
fat 36g
saturates 22g
carbs 41g
sugars 9g
fibre 7g
protein 11g
salt 0.9g

Ingredients

200g butter, plus extra for the tin
drizzle of oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 leek, sliced
1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or Désirée, peeled and thinly sliced (use a mandoline or the fine slicing blade of a food processor)
150g Caerphilly cheese, crumbled (or another sharp, crumbly cheese)

Tip

How to use up leftovers

Fry leftover wedges of Welsh onion cake until crispy and hot, then serve with bacon and poached eggs for a filling brunch. Alternatively, make leek and potato pasties. Roughly chop leftover Welsh onion cake, and pile onto the centre of circles of ready-rolled shortcrust pastry. Brush the edges with beaten egg, then crimp together. Brush the tops with more egg, put on a baking sheet and cook at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 25-30 mins until golden brown.

Method

In a large pan, heat a knob of the butter with a drizzle of oil. Once the butter is foaming, add the onions, leek and some seasoning and cook for 15 mins until the onions are soft and sticky, stirring occasionally. Butter a 22cm cake tin or baking dish (alternatively, you can assemble the cake in the pan you’re already using if it’s ovenproof).
In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter. Toss the sliced potatoes with the melted butter and plenty of seasoning. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Arrange the potato slices over the base of the dish in a spiral or in concentric circles. Top with some of the onion mix, sprinkle over a layer of cheese and continue layering, finishing with a final round of potato slices. Press down firmly with your hands to compact the layers. Bake for 45-50 mins until the potatoes are golden brown and tender; cover with foil if the cake starts to take on too much colour. Turn out onto a plate to serve.