It has been comfort food here out the wazoo as I revel in my own kitchen again, and try to keep the winter cold from creeping into our bones. This week we’ve had foccacia, victoria sponge, eccles cakes, vegan mock tuna, and the day I got home from overseas I made cheddar biscuits, homemade ranch, a pot of spicy black beans, brown rice, and quinoa salad. I’m guessing food is my love language.
I’ve also been in the pie game lately, and while I work on perfecting my pastry (almost there!), I’ve been known to cheat and chuck everything in a tin with some frozen puff pastry on top. I ain’t complaining, see?
Nothing wrong with a bit of bought puff.
Now, the “chicken” pieces in this are the quorn fillets and on subsequent incarnations of this delicious beast, I’m going to leave them out. I thought I’d give them a try, but I could really take them or leave them after further investigation. I’m going to add chunks of potato and corn kernels and have myself a veggie pot pie instead. But for all y’all who miss this kind of thing – get stuck in! (And if you miss lasagne, I’ve got you covered.)
Is it cold where you are? Do you love comfort food?
Yes I served this with mashed potato, for it is my life.
Vegetarian “Chicken” Pot Pie
Print recipe
Ingredients
- 1 packet Quorn Meat-Free Fillets (thawed and chopped into cubes.)
- 1 Large leek, washed, trimmed and sliced thinly
- 1 Large onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken-style stock
- 1/4 cup single/pouring cream
- 1 Large bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 cup peas
- 2 Large carrots, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Preheat oven to 180C. | |
| Step 2 | |
| In a large pot, saute the onion and leek in olive oil (and butter, if you're me) over medium heat. Add garlic and stir through for one minute. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add stock, cream, bay leaf, and herbs and heat gently. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Mix together the butter and flour and add a little bit of the hot sauce mixture until smooth and no lumps remain. Add to the sauce and stir occasionally until it thickens - you might want to turn the heat up for it to thicken faster, but do keep an eye on it. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Turn the heat back down and add cubed quorn, carrots and peas. Simmer until carrots are starting to soften. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Pour into a deep pie dish and layer over the puff pastry. Seal it around the sides, and slice a hole in the middle for the steam to escape. Brush all over with egg or milk and put in the oven to bake. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Bake until top is risen, golden and puffy, and the filling is hot, about 20-30 minutes. Yum! | |
Oh yumbo (minus the quorn.) We’ve been having a veritable pie fest here – a pie is the ultimate winter warmer, don’t you think?!
Yeah I love quorn, but maybe I’ve gotten so used to making things without chicken, it was kind of superfluous to have it there! Was still yum though. I’m going for a rhubarb pie today, I’m so close to perfecting that pastry! Soooo close. Are you back from your trip to the motherland?
Yes, I’m back! But man, I had some Aersome pies while I was there. I’ve returned with lots of pie-aspiration (that’s a thing!) Rhubarb pie – oh my! Will keep my eyes peeled for pictures!
I can imagine they do pies REALLY well!
Agree you can definitely ditch the quorn, I make a once in a winter vegetable cobbler which has a very similar veggie sauce make-up, it does have polenta scones on top which makes it a bit more of a hassle but worth it when your celebrating winter http://thebackyardlemontree.com/2013/07/24/vegetable-cobbler-with-polenta-scones/
Oh polenta scones! That’s clever. I have done one with American-style biscuits on top but I didn’t like it. I’m happy with the veggie one I usually make with the pastry on top. Nice to have a change though!
Snap! comfort food all the way here too – even made pie last night . I usually make my own shortcrust pastry but buy my own puff! I have a great recipe that a friend adapted from a chicken pie and it has tempeh in it which works well. Should dig out the recipe as ’tis the weather for it – at least the cold is good for enjoying lots of baking.
I’ve just moved into the world of making my own puff pastry! I had some on a trip to sydney and I realised I shouldn’t shy away from it any more. As for shortcrust, I’ve always made that too – from an old Betty Crocker recipe! Hot damn I love pies.
This looks delicious – although I have never tried quorn {and probably would just make with chicken}. I do love tarragon – so easy to grow and so wonderful fresh.