These little individual pies, made using homemade shortcrust pastry, have a crisp outer shell, filled with a rich mixture of lentils, mushroom, carrot and celery. The dark ale, sweet caramelised red shallots, the rosemary and garlic give a deep robust flavour to the mushrooms.

The addition of roasted sweet potato on the base adds balance to the ale and also keeps the base from becoming soggy. In fact, placing the pies straight onto a heavy hot tray in the oven ensures that the pie base remains crisp, so that you will even be able to eat these pies hand held at a picnic table outdoors.

You can make the filling ahead to save time and the pastry is so quick and easy to prepare. The weather in Sydney is hot so I have rested the pastry in the fridge during my prepartion but if the weather is cool this may not be needed.

I hope you will enjoy this healthy vegetable alternative to the traditional meat pie.

Vegetarian Mushroom and Lentil Pies

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 85 g butter, chilled and chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 9 Tblsp chilled water

Mushroom Lentil Filling:

• 400 g Brown Mushrooms, chopped
• 1 x 400 g can Lentils
• 12 red shallots, chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 200ml Dark Brown Ale
• 250 ml Vegetable stock
• 1/2 carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 stick of celery, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
• 1 Tblsp tomato paste
• 1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 1 knob of butter
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Sweet potato, baked and cut into cubes
• 2 Tblsp cornflour

Method:

Mushroom Lentil Filling:

1. Pre heat oven to 180º C Fan Forced
2. In a large saucepan heat the Extra Virgin Olive oil and the knob of butter over a medium heat
3. When the butter foams add the chopped red shallots, stir through then lower heat to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes till the shallots are well caramelised
4. Add the garlic, stir and cook for a further couple of  minutes
5. Add the tablespoon of tomato paste, stir though and cook for 1 minute
6. Add the chopped mushrooms and stir through
7. Add the lentils
8. Add the vegetable stock and cook for five minutes
9. Then place the mushroom lentil mix into a baking dish that has a lid
10. Add the dark brown ale, bay leaf, Italian herbs, rosemary, carrot, celery, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir through
11. Take some of the cooking liquid and dissolve the 2 tablespoons of  cornflour and stir into the mushroom lentil mixture
12. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook until the mixture has thickened
13. When the liquid has evaporated leaving a nice thick but still moist mixture, remove from the oven and allow to cool thoroughly before proceeding
14. In the meantime make the pastry

Pastry:

1. Using a food processor with chopping blade attached, place 2 cups of plain flour and 1/4 tsp of salt into the utility bowl, secure and process for 5 seconds
2. Add butter and process for 10 seconds
3. Add chilled water through feed tube and process in bursts until the dough forms into a ball
4. Wrap dough in cling wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes

Assembling the Pies:

1. Preheat oven to 200º C Fan Forced
2. Place a heavy oven tray onto the centre shelf of the oven
3. Use mini pie pans and set them into the fridge to cool
4. Take small walnut sized pieces of the rested pastry, returning the remainder to the fridge as you work.
5. Roll out pastry circles to fit each pie pan and lay the pieces into  each. Place the pie pans with the bases in the fridge to rest for 10 minutes
6. Meanwhile roll out circles for the top of the pies, layering them between sheets of baking paper. Rest them in the fridge for 10 minutes
7. When ready remove the lined pie pans from the fridge and prick the pastry all over with a fork being careful not to pierce through the full thickness
8. Place a layer of sweet potato cubes on the bottom
9. Check the mushroom lentil mixture and adjust seasoning if required. Then spoon a good amount of the cooled mushroom lentil mix over the sweet potato
10. Sprinkle over with chopped parsley
11. Brush the outer edge of the pies with water
12. Cover the filled pie pans with the pastry circles on top
13. Press the edges to seal and trim away excess pastry from the pie pan edge
14. Using fingers or fork tines create a decorative edge. (I have pressed the knuckle of my first finger all around the edge and then pressed the end of a teaspoon into the hollow)
15. Cut a star shape from the remaining pastry
16. Brush the top of the pies with egg wash or milk and place star to one side brushing it over too
17. Cut a vent hole in the centre of the pies
18. Place the pies onto the hot tray in the preheated oven and bake at 200º C for 10 minutes
19. Then lower the heat to 180º C for a further 20 minutes till the pies are well browned
20. Remove the pies from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pie pans.
21. Serve hot or cold with your favourite vegetables or some mashed potato