How to make vegan mushroom, chestnut and truffle oil pie

Making your own pastry is a skill. Whether its puff or shortcrust, doing it yourself is always more satisfying – notably as you’ve had to work at getting it right.

Instead of reaching for the easy roll, be more Bake Off and learn to make your own. 

In the baking show’s most recent episode, which was pastry week, we saw contestants pipe their own eclairs, attempt to master their own (rather questionable) Cornish pasties and then create showstopper-worthy caged tarts.

But your pastry does not need to be quite so technical as the latter.  This recipe, from award-winning pie maker Jarvis Pickle, is a wonderfully autumnal take on nailing your own shortcrust pastry. 

This vegan recipe is brought to life with an earthy mix of mushrooms, chestnuts, walnuts and a glug of truffle oil. It’s also won a Great Taste Award as well as a bronze medal at the British Pie Awards 2020.

Jarvis Pickle handcrafts each of its pies in their kitchen, based in the Scottish Borders, using homemade pastry. They are packed full of delicious locally sourced ingredients including Mungoswells flour, which is grown and milled on a farm in East Lothian.

The brand also runs its own Pies by Post delivery service, and for every four bought in this way, it donates one pie to FareShare who distributes them to vulnerable people such as homeless hostels, community groups and food banks. 

Vegan mushroom, chestnut and truffle oil pie

Time: 1hr 45mins

Serves: four as one pie (in an 8cm deep round dish), or divide into four or eight for individual pies

For the pastry

350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

140g vegetable baking fat (or coconut fat)

1/2 tsp salt

100ml water

20g flour and 40ml water beaten for glazing

Dried parsley and nigella seeds for decoration

vegetable or rapeseed oil

For the filling

200g sweet potato

200g chestnut mushrooms

15g garlic

10ml truffle oil

30g chestnuts

30g walnuts

150ml oat milk

Mushroom stock cube  

Cornflour or xanthan gum to thicken

Using a medium sized saucepan heat water, salt and fat together until fat is melted on a low heat. Stir continually with a wooden spoon. You don’t want it to boil, just melt the fat.

Pour fat and water mix into large mixing bowl with flour. Mix and knead together until pastry is firm to touch. When pastry is formed, set aside to rest.

Using a medium sized saucepan boil cubed sweet potato. When cooked, drain then mash and season with a little salt and pepper. Set aside for later.

Pre-heat your oven to 190C / Gas Mark 5. 

Using a large frying pan part cook mushrooms in a touch of oil till tender, place in Tupperware.

Using the same frying pan warm oat milk, adding crushed garlic, truffle oil and stock cube. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and thicken using cornflour or xanthan gum. When like a thick gravy, add to mushrooms.

Chop chestnut and walnuts finely and mix with mushroom mix. Place in fridge to cool.

Finely coat pie tin(s) using vegetable or rapeseed oil to prevent sticking. Dust clean surface with flour and roll out pastry 3-4mm thick. Cut to size and line tin(s) with pastry using thumbs to insure mould is set. Allow pastry to overlap the tin’s rim by 0.5cm. Place in fridge for 5 minutes.  

Take filling and tin(s) out of the fridge. Fill pie case(s) with a layer of sweet potato mash. Then spoon on your mushroom mix almost to the brim.

Beat flour and water with whisk or fork in a small bowl. Dust clean surface with flour and roll out pastry to cut lid(s) to size.  Wash the rim of the pie(s) with flour/water and place lid(s) on top. Use your first finger and thumb to crimp the pie(s). Then wash the top of the pie(s) for glaze and decorate with nigella seeds and dried parsley.  

Punch three to five chopstick sized holes in the top of the pie(s). Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with mash, vegetables or whatever you want!  

Recipe from Jarvis Pickle (jarvispickle.com). The vegan mushroom pie, as well as other flavoured pies, are available to buy online and delivered by its Pies by Post service