Mushroom & Ale Pie

We didn't have any ale, so I just substituted water for the ale. This recipe serves 4 people. This dish had a really amazing taste, even with just the water. And it looked pretty too! This would definitely be a dish to make again and to bring to a dinner.

2 onions, peeled
1 lb, 2 oz mushrooms
1 3/4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove
1 stalk celery, sliced
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups brown ale
2 tsp mustard
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper
2 cups puff pastry (I used 2 sheets)
1 beaten egg

Slice the onions into thin wedges. Thickly slice the mushrooms. If some are small eave them whole (I purchased pre-sliced mushrooms).

Heat oil and butter in a large pan and cook the onions and garlic over a moderate heat until they soften. Add they celery and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and stir well to coat in the onion and celery mixture. Cover and cook over a gentle heat, stirring from time to time, until the mushrooms change color and soften (about 10 minutes).

Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until all the flour is mixed in and any juice that have collected are absorbed.

Add a little of the ale and stir well to mix; it will thicken quite quickly at this point. Continue adding the ale a little at a time until it is all incorporated. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the mustard and parsley and season to taste. Pour into a 5-cup capacity deep pie dish (I used a 9-inch pie dish). If using individual ones, divide the mixture equally between them. Set to one side to cool a little.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pastry on a well-floured surface to approximately 1/2-inch thick. Brush the edges of the pie dish with a little water. Cut thin strips of pastry and press them around the edge of the pie dish. Brush this pastry edge with a little more water. Now take the larger piece of pastry and drape over the pie dish, then cut away the excess. Use the pastry scraps to decorate the top of the pie, if you wish. Brush with beaten egg to glaze. Using a sharp knife cut 2-3, 2in slashes in the middle of the pastry to allow steam to escape during cooking.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.


100 Great Recipes: Vegetarian, Vicki Smallwood, 2009