A vegetarian feast of a pie, from PIE!

To celebrate the end of British Pie Week,  here's another sneaky recipe to share from my upcoming book PIE!, published very soon by Absolute Press. 

This is a big old vegetarian feast of a pie, and possibly my very favourite recipe from the book.

Enjoy!

G

x

Harissa-spiced Borlotti Bean, Squash, Red Pepper and Chard Pie with Goat’s Cheese

This rainbow-coloured pie is magnificent to look at and it’s certainly fit for a vegetarian feast! It’s a pretty simple pie to make, but if there is a trick to be shared, then it is to make sure each distinct layer is really well seasoned and has plenty to offer in the taste department.

I love chard, to my mind the texture of the stalks, in particular, make it far more interesting than spinach, but you can use spinach if you can’t get hold of chard. It’s also a pretty easy vegetable to grow, so if you have a corner free in your garden you might like to give it a go. The bright red stalks and deep green leaves make it a very attractive plant to grow.

Serves 6 (generously) 

Takes 25 minutes to make (plus cooling), 1 3/4 hours to cook

6 tbsp olive oil

50g unsalted butter

2 onions, finely sliced

400g bunch rainbow chard, washed, stalks trimmed and chopped into 3–4cm pieces, and leaves roughly torn

1 large butternut squash (about 1.4kg), halved, deseeded and cut into 1cm-thick slices (I leave the peel on for texture)

2 whole bulbs of garlic

3 red, orange or yellow peppers, deseeded and cut into 3cm pieces

2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped

bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2–3 tbsp harissa paste

400g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

plain flour, for dusting

double batch of Shortcrust Pastry (see page XX)

250g soft rindless goat’s cheese, crumbled

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, beaten, to glaze 

cumin seeds and sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Pour a tablespoon or so of the oil into a large frying pan, add the butter and set over a low heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the onions, then cook gently, uncovered, for around 30 minutes or until very soft and lightly coloured, stirring from time to time. Add the chopped chard stalks, then cover and cook gently for a further 10 minutes, before adding the torn chard leaves and packing them down into a snug layer. Cover and let the leaves steam and wilt for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside to cool completely.

Whilst the onion and chard mixture is cooking, roast the squash and peppers. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Spread the squash out over 1 or 2 large roasting tins and drizzle over a little of the remaining oil. Season well with salt and black pepper and tuck in the garlic bulbs. Put the mixed peppers in another roasting tin and drizzle the remaining oil over them, along with a little grind of salt and black pepper. Put both vegetables in the oven to roast until cooked and lightly coloured in places, around 35–40 minutes. The squash may take a few minutes more than the peppers, which is why they are cooked in separate tins. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Once cold, stir the capers and parsley through the peppers. Separate the garlic into cloves and squeeze the soft flesh onto the squash, leaving the cloves as whole as possible.

In a small bowl, stir the harissa paste through the borlotti beans and season with a grind of salt and black pepper. Cover and set aside at room temperature.

Once the vegetables are all cold, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Set a heavy baking sheet on a shelf in the oven to heat up. Grease and base-line a 23cm springform cake tin with non-stick baking paper and set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, cut the pastry into two-thirds and one-third, rolling each piece gently into a ball as you do so. Roll out the larger piece into a rough circle, about 4mm thick (the pastry needs to be slightly thicker here as the filling is so robust it needs a sturdy crust to hold it in) and use it to line the prepared springform cake tin, bringing it up the sides of the tin and leaving a little excess hanging over the edge.

To construct the layers, start by adding half of the roast butternut squash in a neatly packed layer at the bottom of the pastry-lined tin. Follow this with the harissa-spiked borlotti beans, spreading them out evenly, then add the roast peppers in an even layer. Next, add the wilted chard and onions mixture in an even layer, followed by the other half of the squash, making sure you level each layer before you add the next. Finally, sprinkle over the goat’s cheese evenly. By now your pie will be full to the brim!

Brush the rim of the pastry with a little cold water to dampen it. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry so it is slightly bigger than the top of the tin and about 4mm thick and lay it over the filling, pressing down firmly and rolling and crimping the edges to seal. Make a couple of slits in the top of the pie to let the steam out. Brush all over with beaten egg and sprinkle over a few cumin seeds and sea salt flakes. 

Carefully slide the tin onto the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 50–55 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through and deep golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before sliding a knife around the inside edge of the tin and releasing the springform. Carefully transfer the pie to a serving plate or wooden board. This is a solid pie – I find the best way to get it off the base is to lay a plate over the top of the pie and turn it over quickly so it is upside-down. Peel off the paper and base of the tin before covering with a serving plate and inverting it quickly so it’s now the right way up. Serve hot (it keeps its temperature very well) or warm, cut into thick slices. This pie is packed full of veggies so doesn’t really need anything to accompany it, but a big green leafy salad will add a nice bit of crunch.

A recipe for British Pie Week

Happy Monday everyone…...

My next book PIE!, part of the Absolute Press '!' series of which my previous titles include STEW! & SOUP!,  is on it's way to a bookshop near you in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, to celebrate the fact that its British Pie Week, here's a little recipe from the book to whet your appetite…..

Roast Beef, Sweet Potato & Horseradish Pie

I have a small confession to make, and I know many will disagree with me wholeheartedly, but I have never been too keen on cold roast beef. So, this recipe was simply designed to use up leftovers in a way more pleasing to me than a sandwich, and I have to say it was a triumphant success. For a more intense hot flavour, try to use grated horseradish (available in jars) rather than a creamy horseradish sauce, which can be quite mild-tasting. 

Serves 4

Takes 20 minutes to make (plus cooling), 1 hour 25 minutes to cook

For the pie

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped

600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

300ml beef stock

300g cold roast beef, cut into bite-size pieces

2–3 tbsp grated horseradish (available in jars), or horseradish sauce for a milder flavour 

plain flour, for dusting

1 batch of Shortcrust Pastry (see page below for the pastry recipe)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the crumble topping

100g plain flour

50g butter, chilled and cut into little cubes

75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated 

To make the pie, put the oil into a large frying pan and set over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, along with the rosemary, and fry for 15–20 minutes or until lightly caramelised, stirring from time to time. Stir through the sweet potatoes and then pour in the stock, seasoning well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover with a piece of damp greaseproof paper pressed down over the sweet potatoes, tucking it under snugly at the edges – this creates a steamy lid to help cook the sweet potatoes. Simmer until soft – this will take around 15 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks. 

Remove and discard the paper – the sweet potatoes should have absorbed most of the stock; if it is still quite liquid, then simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes. Remove from the heat, stir through the beef and horseradish and set aside to cool completely.

Once the filling is cold, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 4mm (the pastry needs to be slightly thicker here as the filling is robust so it needs a sturdy crust to hold it in) and use it to line a 23cm springform cake tin, bringing it about 4cm up the sides of the tin. Spoon in the filling, levelling it out as you go.

For the crumble topping, lightly rub the flour and butter together in a mixing bowl. When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, mix through the cheese and season well with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the pie filling, but don’t pat or press it down as you want to leave it light and airy. 

Bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through and the crumble topping is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for a few minutes, then slide a knife around the inside of the tin and release the springform. Carefully transfer the pie to a serving plate or wooden board and serve hot. Green vegetables on the side are a great accompaniment for this pie, and perhaps a little extra horseradish sauce for those who like things fiery.

Shortcrust pastry recipe

Makes about 325g

Takes 10 minutes to make (plus chilling)

180g plain white flour

a pinch of fine salt

90g cold butter, cut into small cubes

3–4 tbsp ice-cold water 

Food Processor Method

Put the flour and salt into the food processor and whizz briefly together to mix, then add the butter cubes and pulse briefly a dozen times or so until you have coarse crumbs. If you use the pulse function in very short, sharp bursts (rather than just leave it in the ‘on’ position) to rub the fat and flour together, then I think it works more like super fast fingers and there is less chance of overdoing it. Next, you trickle in the ice-cold water, whilst pulsing all the while, just until the mixture resembles rough lumps and looks a bit like overcooked and dry scrambled eggs. Add only as much water as you need. Don’t keep processing until the mixture comes together in a big ball as that will develop the gluten in the flour too much, so be sure to stop before you get to that stage. 

Tip the clumped crumbs onto a sheet of cling film and gently squeeze together into a ball without pressing too hard – little air gaps are a good thing and will add a lightness and crumbliness to the cooked shortcrust. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Traditional Rubbing-in (by hand) Method

The method is essentially the same, but your fingertips and thumbs work together to literally rub the flour, salt and butter together until you have coarse crumbs. Lifting your hands out of the bowl as you rub adds air. Then once again, add just enough cold water to bring the mixture together into clumps – I find a blunt table knife is best to use here, using it to stir and cut through the crumbed mixture as you mix. Again, tip the clumped crumbs onto a sheet of cling film and squeeze gently into a ball, then wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. 

A sublime onion tart

Now this tart is the sort of thing I have dreams about - is that terribly sad? My guess is that if you are reading a blog on egg cookery you will have more than a passing interest in food and will therefore understand! It is one of those rare things that comprises a mere handful of ingredients yet the end result tastes hugely complex. I would go as far as to say this is a fairly frugal dish, albeit one of the best sorts that take a very cheap ingredient, onions, in bulk and add to it a little luxury in the form of double cream. The resulting tart is deeply savoury, rich and unctuous and really rather wonderful.

Onion Tart

Makes a 25cm deep filled tart

You need:

for the pastry:

130g plain flour, fine milled '00' will give you a crisper pastry

75g unsalted butter

a few tablespoons ice cold water

fine sea salt

for the filling:

900g white onions, sliced

50g unsalted butter

splash olive oil

1 small sprig fresh rosemary, needles picked & finely chopped 

200ml double cream

150ml milk

4 medium eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas 4.

Begin by making the pastry. In a large bowl, season the flour with a little fine sea salt. Add the butter and rub into the flour, with cold fingers and a light touch, until it resembles crumbly breadcrumbs. Add just enough water to bring the pastry together in a ball. This will be something like 3 tablespoons, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. If you overdo it and it ends up a little sticky add a shake more flour. Wrap tightly in cling and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Melt the butter very gently in a deep wide frying pan and add the onions, rosemary and a splash of oil. Cook as gently as possible for as long as possible, an hour would be good if you had the time. The point whole of this tart is the melting sublime onions, and this is a step that cannot, must not, be rushed. A square of greaseproof, scrunched up under a running tap then shaken, unfolded and tucked over the onions will provide a steamy cover that will prevent the onions burning.

Whilst the onions are cooking remove the pastry from the fridge. On a floured work surface, roll as thin as you dare and use to line a loose bottomed 25cm flan tin. Prick the base all over with a fork, line with baking paper and baking beans. Bake blind for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove and allow to cool. Turn the oven down to 160oC.

Lightly beat the cream and milk with the eggs and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cooked onions over the pastry case and pour in the custard. Bake in the oven for around 35-40 minutes or until the filling is just set. Allow to cool a little before serving with a crisp green salad. I actually prefer this tart at something nearing room temperature - the onions seem to take on a more complex sweet softness when served barely warm. But you can eat if hot if that is what you fancy. I wouldn't, however, eat it fridge cold - the whole subtle point of the dish would be lost.

Marmalade Bakewells

It is Seville orange season, the brief few weeks at the end of January and early February when these thick skinned inedible-when-raw oranges should be celebrated. And the best way I know of celebrating them is with a steamy afternoon in the kitchen making a vat of marmalade. I adore marmalade and like it nice and sharp, the bits neither too big nor too slight. Sadly, I have been so snowed under in the early part of the year that I have found no time to make any for myself. Happily for me then that my lovely ‘cooking buddy’ Jo made a batch and presented me with a jar yesterday. 

Marmalade is so absolutely perfect for breakfast, you have to envy the clever devil who invented it. It is sweet enough to give the sugar kick so needed first thing in the morning, but sharp and tart enough to wake up the taste buds and bring you alive. When teamed with a decent coffee it really is the perfect pick me up.

As much as I love it on toast, I am often thinking of other ways to showcase its charms. The recipe below is for mini marmalade Bakewell’s - a sweet treat I created for a winter party a couple of years ago. But with my recently acquired jar from Jo I have just spent an hour or so recreating it with my little girl Eve. This time measuring, weighing and timing as I went along so I could write a recipe that others could follow. So much of my cooking is done form my head that it takes huge discipline for me to cook like this. The pastry was initially a disaster and kept falling apart - these things happen to all of us from time to time - but after a bit of cussing and then walking away for a few minutes, we managed to resurrect it into something rather crumbly and delicious.

Mini marmalade Bakewells

Makes 12 mini tarts

What you need:

250g shortcrust pastry, either good quality readymade, or make you own with 160g plain flour & 80g unsalted butter

150g unsalted butter

150g ground almonds

150g caster sugar

2 medium eggs 

12 scant tsp marmalade, either homemade or good quality brought stuff

50g flaked almonds 

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180oC/gas 4. Prepare a 12 hole jam-tart tin by greasing with a little butter, set aside.

Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface until it is approximately 3mm thick. Leave to rest for a few minutes whilst you prepare the filling.

In a food processor, pulse together the butter, ground almonds and sugar until they resemble fine crumbs. Add the eggs and blend to a thick paste.

Cut out 12 circles from the pastry and gently line the tart tin. If your pastry cracks and crumbles, as mine did, don’t despair, just patch it up best you can. Sometimes I find the worst looking pastry ends up tasting the best. Sometimes the best policy is to walk away and leave it alone for a few minutes to allow both you and the pastry to relax. It worked for me!

Place a scant teaspoon of marmalade in the base of each tart - don’t be too generous, you need room for the filling.  Add a dessertspoonful of filling to each, and level with a spoon. You can fill right to the top, it won’t grown much in the oven. You may find you have a little filling left over, it freezes brilliantly, so save it for those times when you find you have a little spare pastry and make yourself a quick treat.

Sprinkle a few flaked almonds on top of each to make them look pretty and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Allow to cool a little in the tin before transferring to a cooling rack. I really like to eat these cold, but feel free to eat them warm if you prefer.