It’s funny that, meat lover though I am, when I look back at Christmas, the meals which I enjoy making the most are frequently the none-meat based ones. My passion for accompanying vegetables knows no bounds (roast potatoes alone deserve a chapter of their own!) consequently I usually prepare and cook far more than are needed for the Christmas Day feast alone. Pickings are an absolute pleasure but I always make enough for a Leftover Pie. This recipe comes in extremely handy when vegetarian guests arrive (my sister, brother-in-law and nephew) and, as this is usually the cue for a bit of a mass get together, the expansive nature of The Pie comes in very handy!
Ingredients
Selection of leftover cooked Christmas vegetables; parsnips, carrots, sliced sprouts.
Additional vegetables (this year I braised extra carrots and mushrooms).
Dried mushrooms (and their soaking fluid).
Soy sauce
Chutney or caramelised onion marmalade.
If you have any leftover roasted shallots these are fantastic, especially if they’ve been roasted in sweet balsamic vinegar which gives a gorgeous sweet and sharp tang. Slice them up and stir them into the vegetables.
Chestnuts would also work very well as they give a lovely soft, mealy texture to the pie.
I use a large rectangular casserole dish which is about an inch and a half deep. It’s about 35cm x 20cm.
Aim to use enough cooked vegetables to fill within a centimetre or so of the top of the dish.
Simply using vegetables alone can make for a slightly dry pie, a little extra liquid comes in useful (aim for a level about half way up the pie filling). The way I usually provide this extra liquid is to soak a small 40g packet of dried mushrooms in boiling water. Once softened, chop up the mushrooms then add, together with the liquid, to the pie (pour the liquid carefully as you may find it contains a little grit from the mushrooms, you don't want this to end up in your pie). I then usually give the mixture a generous shake of dark soy sauce. If you want to add an extra sweet dimension (particularly if you haven't used roasted shallots), stir in a good tablespoon of onion marmalade then season with ground black pepper.
Shortcrust pastry topping.
Prepare enough shortcrust pastry to cover the top of your pie (or, if you’re up against it, buy a packet or two from the supermarket). For extra flavour I add a handful of finely grated Parmesan (or equivalent hard cheese) to the pastry.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and cover the pie. Glaze with beaten egg. Cook in a hot oven. The vegetables are already cooked so it’s more a case of heating them through and allowing the pastry lid to turn a beautiful golden brown. I use a transparent pie dish so I can see when the liquid is bubbling nicely inside the pie.
Serve with mashed potato or salad, depending on how stuffed to the gunnels everybody is!
