Veggies can often miss out at Christmas - but no-one will feel hard done by with this deliciously rich and festive chestnut pie
Ingredients
- 110g dried chestnuts, soaked for 6-8 hours
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1tsp / 5ml dried rosemary
- 210ml vegetarian/vegan red wine
- 300ml vegetable/vegan stock or water
- 25g butter or soya margarine
- 8 small pickling onions or shallots, peeled
- 110g chestnut mushrooms, wiped
- 50g button mushrooms, wiped
- 10ml Dijon mustard
- 30-45ml tamari or soy sauce
- freshly ground black pepper
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 225g vegetarian/vegan puff pastry, thawed if frozen
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Place the soaked chestnuts, herbs and 5floz of wine in a saucepan with vegetable stock to cover and cook until just tender, approximately 50-60 minutes.
- Drain the chestnuts, reserving the liquid.
- Melt the butter or margarine in a frying pan and saute the onions until lightly browned.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
- Add the chestnuts, the remaining red wine and sufficient chestnut cooking liquor to cover.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes to reduce the liquid a little.
- Stir in the mustard, tamari and black pepper to taste. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Check seasoning and consistency and adjust as necessary.
- Spoon the mixture into a pie dish. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and place on top of filling.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until golden.