Comforting, hearty and a tad indulgent: what more do you want from a proper autumn pie? Oh, and by the way: it’s plant-based, too!
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
50g butter
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
400g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
The leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
50g flour
1 generous tsp Dijon mustard
100ml masala or dry sherry (optional)
300ml vegetable bouillon (or vegetable stock)
200g vacuum-packed chestnuts, sliced in half
1 x 500g pack of ready-made, all-butter shortcrust pastry
1 beaten egg
Method
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat and gently sauté the sliced leeks for around 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Turn the heat up slightly, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and continue to fry for around 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have released all their moisture, adding the garlic and thyme for the last minute or so. Add the masala (or sherry) and allow to ‘bubble down’ for a minute or so before sprinkling the flour into the pan and stirring until a roux has formed around the vegetables. Add the mustard and stir until well-incorporated before gradually adding the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, stirring continuously, until thickened. Add the chestnuts to the pan, stir well, cover with a lid, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
While the filling is cooling down, preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 5 and lightly grease a suitably-sized pie or baking dish. Roll out ⅔ of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line the base of the pie dish. Brush the edges with beaten egg, roll out the remaining piece of pastry and use it to top the pie. Crimp the edges together (or use the prongs of a fork to create a seal), trim off any overhanging pastry, cut a couple of slits in the top to allow steam to escape while baking and brush with more beaten egg.
Bake in the oven for around 25-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Serve with, perhaps, mashed potatoes, plenty of steamed seasonal vegetables and a jug of gravy.
