Mushroom and Ale Pie
Pies have to be one of the most comforting foods and this recipe is nostalgic and traditional but with a vegan twist.
Done in 1 hour
Serves 0
Ingredients
For the pie
10gdried porcini mushrooms
400gmixed or chestnut mushrooms, roughly quartered
1-2 tbspolive oil
2 leeks, thickly sliced
1 mediumcarrots
2garlic cloves, grated
4vegan sausages, skins removed and broken into pieces
1 tsptomato paste
1 tspdried thyme
1 tspsoy sauce
300mlvegan ale
2bay leaves
1 vegan beef stock cube
550mlboiling water
1 flat tbspcornstarch
1 tbspcranberry sauce
to tastesalt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbspvegan butter
375gvegan puff pastry
1 tbspoat milk
I didn't eat enough pie. But this changed when I created this mushroom and ale pie. It's comforting and nostalgic, and absolutely full of all the flavours you'd want from a savoury pie. The key is to get the mushrooms nice and golden to get as much meaty flavour from them as possible. You really, really won't miss the meat.
Method
Soak the porcini mushrooms with boiling water for about 10-15 minutes.
Place a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Once hot, add the quartered mushrooms and fry until they've released all their moisture. Once they're dry and start to turn golden brown, add in a splash of oil and a pinch of salt. Fry for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally then remove once golden brown and starting to crisp.
Into the same pan, add another splash of oil then the leeks along with a small splash of water to help cook them down. Once softened, add the sausage pieces and carrot and fry for a few minutes. Once the sausage starts to brown add the garlic and stir into the mixture. Add the cooked mushrooms back in along with the dried thyme, tomato paste, soy sauce, 1 tbsp of the mushroom soaking liquid and the rehydrated porcini mushrooms.
Pour 300ml of the ale into the mushroom and sausage mixture, along with the bay leaves. Bring to the boil then turn down slightly and simmer vigorously until the sauce has thickened and the raw alcohol smell has gone, about 7-10 mins. Dollop in the cranberry sauce and stir to mix then add 550ml vegan beef stock. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees/180 degrees fan.
Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp water to make the cornstarch slurry. Pour into the mushroom mixture bit by bit, and stir to combine. The sauce should immediately start to thicken. Add less if you want a more saucy pie. Taste and season the pie filling with salt and pepper then finish by stirring through the vegan butter.
Pour the pie into an oven proof dish then cover with the vegan puff pastry. Decorate the pie however preferred, or crimp the edges as shown. Brush the pastry with the vegan milk and place into the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is nicely puffed and cooked through. Serve with mashed potato and enjoy!
