From our second book 'Full of Beans'. A proper showstopper pie with a silky, savoury filling of leeks, mushrooms and tender Queen Butter Beans, turning the sauce into a luxurious, velvety base. It’s all tucked into a flaky puff pastry. It’s everything you want from a cold-weather bake. Delicious served with steamed greens or buttered peas for a pop of freshness. Photo credit Sam A Harris.
Prep
20 min
Cook
70 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Ingredients
pancetta 100 g
leek 2 (chopped)
mushrooms 150 g (sliced)
garlic cloves 3 (chopped)
fresh thyme 3 sprig (leaves picked)
butter 20 g
Dijon mustard 1 tbsp
plain flour 1 tbsp
vegetable stock cube 1
white wine 150 ml
Bold Bean Queen butter beans 570 g
double cream 100 ml
egg 1 (whisked)
puff pastry 240 g
frozen peas 250 g
Method
Heat the oven & cook the pancetta if using
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
If using pancetta, heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 6–8 minutes until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Roughly chop the leeks and roughly slice the chestnut mushrooms, finely chop the garlic cloves. Pick the fresh thyme leaves.
Make the filling
To the same pan, add the butter, leeks and chestnut mushrooms. Season and cook for 10–12 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and fresh thyme.
Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the Dijon mustard and flour and cook for a few minutes more, stirring all the while.
Make up the vegetable stock cube with 350ml boiling water. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble away for a few minutes before gradually adding 250ml of the stock, stirring constantly.
Add the Bold Bean butter beans and their bean stock, double cream and reserved pancetta, if using. Season well with black pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
If it starts to look a little dry, add a splash more stock. Once it’s ready, pour the pie filling into a large pie dish and allow to cool completely.
Add the pastry & bake
Whisk the egg in a small bowl and use some of it to brush the top edges of the pie dish.
Take the puff pastry and lay it over the pie filling. You may need to roll out the pastry slightly first, depending on the shape of your pie dish.
Cut away any loose edges and crimp with a fork. Use any excess puff pastry to decorate the top if desired.
Brush the puff pastry with the remaining egg and season with salt.
Bake for 35–40 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and deeply golden.
Plate Up
Make the buttered peas by cooking the frozen peas in boiling water, then drain them. Add them back to the pan, add a knob of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Leave the pie to rest for a few minutes, then serve in the middle of the table for people to help themselves, along with buttered peas.
