Chestnut, mushroom and shallot pie

This delicious chestnut, mushroom and shallot pie is a tasty and unsual choice that’s perfect for any vegetarian dinner guests. In fact, they’ll probably be over the moon that you’ve made such an effort to not just serve them pasta or bean chilli! And this will also go down well with non-veggie dinner guests, as it’s packed with great flavours.   

Ingredients (serves 4)

200g cooked chestnuts (such as Merchant Gourmet vacuum-packed)

2 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh rosemary

200ml red wine

300ml vegetable stock

25g butter

1tbsp olive oil

12 shallots, peeled & left whole

250g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters

2tbsp Beurre Manie (1tbsp flour mixed to a paste with 1tbsp softened butter)

2tsp Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

2tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

225g puff pastry

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the olive oil to stop it burning and fry the onions until slightly browned, for about five minutes.

Add the mushrooms, bay leaves and rosemary and cook for a further five minutes.

Add the chestnuts, red wine and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the onions are soft.

Add the beurre manie, stirring constantly until is dissolves, and cook for a further five minutes until the sauce is thickened.