Mushroom pie with chestnuts and greens recipe

Mushroom pie with chestnuts and greens is a veggie dish that is packed with flavour. The golden shortcrust pastry crust is filled with a mixture of different mushrooms, which gives a really deep and earth flavour. The chestnuts add great texture and richness to this mushroom pie, and the greens provide extra moisture, flavour, and richness. We’ve used a loaf tin to make this mushroom pie, which makes is so easy to assemble and bake.

Ingredients

• 500g shortcrust pastry
• 15g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 800g mixed mushrooms – we used chestnut, girolles, closed cup and chanterelles, roughly chopped
• 200g bunch spring greens, trimmed and sliced
• 180g pack cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp polenta
• 1 small egg, beaten

You will need:

• 2kg loaf tin, greased
• Foil

Method

1. Cut two sheets of foil, one long enough to line the length of the loaf tin and the other to line the width, both with some overhang. Fold each over to make thick strips about 5cm wide. Set them into the tin to make a cross, to help lift out the pie.
2. Roll the pastry out to about 1cm thick and line the tin, leaving a little excess pastry over the sides. Cut out extra strips about 2cm to go around the edge. Cut out a rectangle of pastry for the lid, about 4cm wider than the top of the tin, and with any excess pastry, cut out leaves to decorate. Chill for 30 mins. Heat the oven to 200C. Line the pastry with foil and fill with baking beans; blind bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and cook for another 15 mins.
3. Soak the Porcini mushrooms in enough boiling water to just cover them; set aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for 5 mins over a medium heat. Add the thyme, leeks and garlic. Cook for 5 more mins; set aside. In the same pan, cook the mixed mushrooms for 5 mins, or until softened. Put in a colander set over the sink for 10 mins, so all the excess moisture drains off. Set the greens in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 4 mins, drain and rinse under water. Drain and chop the Porcini mushrooms.
4. In a large bowl, mix the greens, all the mushrooms, the leek mixture and chestnuts. Season well. Sprinkle the polenta in the base of the pastry case and then spoon in the filling. Brush the sides with egg and stick the pastry strips around the edges, brush these with egg and add the pastry lid and pierce 2 holes in the middle of it. Pinch around the edges to seal. Stick on pastry leaves and glaze with egg. Chill for 30 mins (freeze at this stage, cook at the same oven temperature for 50-60 mins from frozen). Bake for 30 mins.