Picnic perfection

These three special sharing treats are ideal to pack whole and then divide up at your next alfresco get-together

- NADINE BROWN

Cheese, onion and potato roly-poly

Roly-polys might be a classic pud but switch the filling from sweet to savoury with cheese, spuds and caramelised onions, and you have a tasty pastry, perfect for a gathering.

1 HOUR 30 MINUTES + CHILLING | SERVES 6-8 | EASY |

self-raising flour 200g, plus extra for dusting

vegetable suet 100g

olive oil 2 tbsp

red onions 2 large, thinly sliced

thyme leaves picked to make 2 tsp

balsamic vinegar 60ml

soft light brown sugar 2 tbsp

potatoes 400g, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

extra-mature cheddar 150g, grated

egg 1, beaten

mixed seeds (nigella, poppy and sesame work well) 1 tbsp

1 Combine the flour and suet in a large bowl, seasoning lightly. Slowly add 100ml of ice-cold water, stirring with a fork to bring it into a rough ball of dough. If the mixture is too dry and there are still visible pockets of flour, add an additional 1 tbsp of water. The final dough will be soft but not sticky. Knead briefly into a smooth ball, flatten slightly then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large lidded frying pan over a low heat. Add the red onions, thyme and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t catch. Once they’re soft and slightly golden, remove the lid and stir in the vinegar, sugar and 2 tbsp of water. Continue to cook for 6-8 minutes without a lid until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool, then season to taste.

3 While the onions cook, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes until just tender, then drain thoroughly and leave to steam dry in a colander.