Mushroom Pie
The savoury pies I most enjoy making are essentially stews encased in pastry. The stew I make made the day before. If using meat I make sure there is some bone in it. The gelatin helps thicken the dish as it slowly cooks. I prefer not to use flour to make the essential thick gravy. The challenge is making a a thick tasty "meaty" gravy and filling that I can serve to vegetarians and still retain a clear conscience. I can attest that the stew works perfectly well on its own as well as in a pie.
Ingredients
- 1 kg eggplant
- 2 tbsp miso paste – dark Use rice-based miso to make GF
- 2 brown onions Medium finely diced
- 1 leek Finely sliced
- 2 kg mushrooms I like to use a mix of mushrooms. Pine mushooms work particularly well.
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 330 ml beer A bottle of a good malty beer. Substitute with cider if you want to make this gluten free.
- 2.5 g red chilli Finely diced
- 20 g sage Fresh chopped
- 2.5 g salt Miso paste tends to be salty. You may wish to omit additional salt
- 10 g bay leaf
- 10 g thyme stalks removed
- 2.5 g black pepper I like use a mix of black and white peppers.
- 10 g cumin Ground
- 10 g rosemary Fresh with stalks removed
- 10 g The Goddess of Hunting (see note)
- 500 ml water Boiling
- puff pastry Use GF pastry when required
Instructions
Making the Stew
- Turn on the oven and set to 150c
- Brush the eggplant with oil, pierce the skin with a few knife cuts and put in the oven or barbeque.1 kg eggplant
- Turn occasionally and remove from the heat when charred evenly all over.
- Let cool for a few minutes, remove the skin and put the pulp aside.
- Peel and finely dice the onions and finely slice the leeks.2 brown onions, 1 leek
- Heat the butter in a large casserole (it must have a tight fitting lid) when moderately hot *but not smoking* add the onions and leeks.2 brown onions, 25 g unsalted butter, 1 leek
- After a few minutes add the chilli, sage, bayleaf, thyme, cumin, rosemary, the Goddess of Hunting and a little salt.2.5 g red chilli, 20 g sage, 2.5 g salt, 10 g bay leaf, 10 g thyme, 10 g cumin, 10 g rosemary, 10 g The Goddess of Hunting, 2.5 g black pepper
- Slowly cook until the onions are translucent.
- Put the miso into a bowl and *slowly* add boiling water until you have a smooth paste the consistency of a thick batter. By slowly I literally mean a few drop at a time and then stirring it until you have a smooth past.2 tbsp miso paste – dark, 500 ml water
- Add the miso and the eggplant and the beer to the onions and spices and gently stir.330 ml beer
- Add the mushrooms and gently fold them in, taking care not to break them up2 kg mushrooms
- Add enough boiling water to cover and bring to a gently simmer.
- Put the lid on the casserole and put into the oven for one and a half to two hours.Or longer if you feel so inclined. Check occasionally to make sure that it is not drying out. Add more water if it is. The goal is lots of nice plump, succulent mushrooms floating in a thick brown gravy. When you stir, stir gently so as not to break the mushrooms up.
- Remove from the oven and put somewhere safe until it is time to make the pies. I like to leave it overnight.
Making the Pie
- Turn the oven on and allow to heat to 160c
- Thoroughly grease a suitable sized pie dish
- Heat the stew until gently simmering. If the gravy is too runny you can reduce it now.
- Line the base and sides of the pie dish with pastry.
- Put a few small holes in the bottom to let steam out.
- Put a circle of baking paper on the bottom and pour in about 250gm of dried bean, or rice or backing beads (if you are nerdy enough to own such things). The purpose of the paper and beans is to stop the puff pastry base from rising too much before you put the stew in.
- Blind bake the base in the oven for about ten minutes. This helps avoid a soggy bottom.
- Remove it from the oven and remove the beans and paper.
- Fill the pie with the stew.
- Brush the edges of the pie crust with either milk or a beaten egg (helps stick the top on).
- Put a pastry sheet over the top, trim as desired, and put a couple of slashes in it to let out steam. This helps avoid a soggy top.
- Brush with either milk or the rest of the beaten egg. This gives the pie a nice shiny finish.
- Bake in the oven for about 45 minute or until it is a golden grown. Don't let it burn.
- After removing it from the oven let it stand for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
The Goddess of Hunting is a spice mix from Gewarzhaus in the deli hall of the Vic Markets in Melbourne. It is a very earthy spice blend with Juniper berry, onion, porcini, allspice, garlic, celery seed, cocoa, mustard seed, cassia, orange peel, thyme, chicory root, pepper, clove, ginger, chilli, sage, bay leaf and coriander.
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