Mushroom, potato & watercress pie

Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 500g block shortcrust pastry (suitable for vegans - we used Jus-Rol)

  • 250g flat mushrooms or Portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced

  • 100g button mushrooms, quartered

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 1 large carrot, diced

  • 2 leeks, washed and sliced

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 2 tsps dried thyme

  • 1 x 85g bag watercress

  • 2 large potatoes, cut into chunks (skins can be left on or not as preferred)

  • 4 tbsp rapeseed or other vegetable oil

  • 2 vegetable stock cubes

  • 1 heaped tsp yeast extract

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tsps vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)

  • 2 tbsp plain flour (or cornflour)

  • 300ml of hot water

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Place the potatoes into a pan of cold, salted water.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until just tender.  Drain well and set aside.

Heat the rapeseed oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan or wok.  Add in the onions and carrots along with a good pinch of salt and fry for five minutes.  Then add the leeks and mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 6-8 minutes, or until all the veg is soft.  While the veg cooks combine the vegetable stock, water, soy sauce, yeast extract and Worcestershire sauce (if using) in a jug.  Whisk to ensure that the veg stock is dissolved.   

Stir the plain flour, garlic and thyme into the vegetable mix and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then stir in enough of the liquid so that a thick sauce is created.  Bring to a simmer then stir in the watercress and remove from the heat.  Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.  Pour into a large pie dish.

Roll out the shortcrust pastry to roughly the thickness of a pound coin.  Cover the pie dish completely with the pastry then trim carefully.  Crimp the edges with a fork and make a few small cuts in the centre to allow steam to escape while cooking. 

Place the pie into the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes before serving.