Mushroom and Leek Pie

A whole baked pie with pastry leaves and circles on top, on a gray kitchen towel.

5 from 4 votes

This vegetarian pie has leeks, mushrooms, carrots and thyme in a creamy sauce, with a flaky shortcrust pastry on top. You can freeze it before baking and bake it from frozen.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Chilling Time1

Total Time2 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British, English

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: portions

Calories: 568kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

1 stick unsalted butter (diced and cold) (115 g)
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour (160 g)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup very cold water (60 ml)
1 egg yolk (for egg wash)

For the Mushroom Filling

¼ stick butter (30 g)
1 lb roughly sliced chestnut or button mushrooms (450 g)
10 ½ oz sliced and washed leeks (300 g)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 carrot (peeled and sliced)
1 cup boiling water (250 ml, for soaking the porcini)
½ oz dried porcini mushroom (15 g)
¼ cup all-purpose flour (30 g)
¾ cup whole or 2% milk (200 ml)
4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only, chopped)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Shortcrust Pastry

Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt, sugar and diced butter.
Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Add the water gradually, just enough to make a firm dough. You might not need all the water given in the recipe.
Knead the dough briefly on a floured surface and shape it into a ball.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and rest it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.

Make the Mushroom and Leek Filling

Soak the dried porcini in 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling water for 15 minutes.
Spoon out the porcini, roughly chop them and keep the liquid for cooking the pie filling. Set them aside until needed.
Melt the butter in a large pan or wok over medium heat, then add the leeks.
Sauté the leeks for a few minutes, until slightly softened.
Turn the heat up, add the mushrooms and cook them until they soften and release their juices.
Add the carrots and garlic and cook for a few minutes, until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
Sprinkle on the flour and add the porcini. Cook for a minute, stirring all the time.
Pour in the milk and the porcini soaking liquid, stirring all the time to avoid lumps. Keep cooking for a few minutes, until it's bubbling and the sauce has thickened.
Add the thyme, salt, black pepper and chili flakes (if using).
Transfer the filling to a 10-inch (25 cm) pie dish and let it cool to room temperature before assembling the pie.

Assemble and Bake the Pie

When the filling has cooled, take the pastry out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling it out.
Preheat your oven to 180° C - 356° F (fan) or 200° C - 392° F (conventional).
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry slightly larger than the pie dish.
Cover the pie dish with the pastry and trim off any excess with a knife.
Crimp the edge along the rim of the dish with your thumb to seal it. Brush the pastry with the egg yolk.
Make some decorations from the leftover pastry with a small knife or small cookie cutters if you want a fancy-looking pie.
Make a hole in the middle to let the steam out during baking.
Bake the pie for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Let it cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Keep the butter and water very cold, and don't overwork the dough, or the pastry will be tough.
Leave the chilled pastry at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling it out.
Slice the leeks first, then rinse them well in cold water to remove any grit.
Cook the mushrooms on a high heat until all their liquid has evaporated, or the filling will be watery.
Leave the last spoonful of porcini soaking liquid in the bowl, because that's where the grit settles.
Let the filling cool completely before you put the pastry on.
For a quicker pie, use a sheet of store-bought puff pastry instead of shortcrust, or top the filling with mashed potatoes.
For a vegan pie, use vegan butter, oat or soy milk, and brush the top with plant milk instead of egg yolk.
Leftovers keep for 5 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Reheat them in the oven at 180° C - 356° F for 15 to 20 minutes.
To freeze before baking, cover the pie with pastry, brush it with egg yolk and freeze it. Bake it from frozen and add 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time.
You'll need a 10-inch (25 cm) pie dish.

Nutrition