Chestnut Pie

When we had a friend visit us from another city for a day, we went to one of the vegetarian restaurants in town. That day’s special was chestnut pie and it was very hearty and filling, which was great considering how cold it was. We each ordered that and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I decided to make something similar at home. This was my first attempt, but I plan to try other chestnut pies, sweet and savoury, in the future.

Ingredients:

200 g chestnuts (vacuum-sealed or tinned)

1-2 onions

oil

1 vegetable stock cube

other herbs/spices, as desired (I used some rosemary, cinnamon, and a hint of mint)

about 300 g vegetables of your choice (I used mushrooms and a courgette)

water (about 1 cup)

1 package puff pastry (500 g)

Instructions:

1. Grind the chestnuts or else dice them into small pieces.

2. Chop the onion/s and fry the pieces lightly in oil a saucepan. Add the stock cube and the other herbs/spices.

3. Chop the vegetables and add them to the pan. Fry for a few moments and then add the water and boil for 5-10 minutes over low heat.

4. Add the chestnuts.

5. Roll out the puff pastry and separate it into two pieces (one will be the lid, so it should be smaller).

6. Oil an oven-safe dish and line with puff pastry. Fill with the chestnut mixture and put the lid on top.

7. Bake at 200 C for 20-35 minutes.