Light Bites Baking

Mushroom Hand Pie

"Every country has their version of a pie to eat on the move," says chef James Strawbridge. "Where I live, in Cornwall, we call it a pasty; in Mexico an empanada; in Poland a pierogi, and in New Zealand and Australia it’s a hand pie. For this version, I’ve paired earthy chestnut mushrooms, a leek for allium warmth, and tarragon for sophisticated anise notes. It’s a pocket full of comfort-food joy."

25 minutes prep, 35 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g puff pastry

50g butter

250g chestnut mushrooms, diced

1 small leek, finely sliced

75ml white wine

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

1 tsp lemon zest

½ tsp sea salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

1 tsp cornflour

1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Roll the pastry into 2 sheets about 20 × 30cm, and select 2 large pastry cutters – one about 2cm larger than the other. Cut out 4 pastry discs with the larger cutter, and 4 with the smaller one.

Add the butter to a pan and sauté the mushrooms and leek for 4-5 minutes. Add the white wine, tarragon, and zest, and season with salt and white pepper.

Cook for 3-4 minutes until the wine has reduced, then add the cornflour. Stir, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Put a small handful of the filling in the centre of each smaller pastry disc. Then wet the edge, lay the larger disc on top and gently press with a fork to seal. Score and make a small hole in the top for steam to escape.

Lay on a lined baking tray. Brush with egg, bake for 20-25 minutes, and enjoy.