This stunning pie packed with winter vegetables and other goodies makes a delicious main course for vegetarians. For meat-eaters, it is an excellent accompaniment to cold sliced turkey or other meat dishes.
ingredients
serves 6 - 8
1/2 pound leeks
11 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound carrots, cubed
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup Roquefort or Stilton cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 pound tart apples
1 cup cashew nuts or pine nuts, toasted
3/4 pound frozen filo pastry, defrosted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cut the leeks in half through the root and wash them, separating the layers slightly to check they are clean. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces, drain and dry.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large pan and cook the leeks and carrots covered over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, sprouts and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn the vegetables into a bowl and let them cool.
3. Whisk the cream cheese and blue cheese, cream, eggs and seasoning together in a bowl. Pour them over the vegetables. Peel and core the apples and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Stir them into the vegetables. Lastly, add the toasted cashew or pine nuts.
4. Melt the remaining butter. Brush all over the inside of a 9 inch loose-based springform cake pan with melted butter. Brush two-thirds of the filo pastry sheets with butter, one sheet at a time, and use them to line the base and sides of the tin, overlapping the layers so that there are no gaps for the filling to fall through.
5. Spoon in the vegetable mixture and fold over the excess filo pastry to cover the filling.
6. Brush the remaining filo sheets with butter and cut them into 1 inch. strips. Cover the top of the pie with these strips, arranging them in a rough mound.
7. Bake for 35 — 45 minutes until golden brown all over. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, and then unclip the spring and gently remove the cake pan. Transfer the pie to a large serving plate.
more information
When working with filo pastry, always keep the sheets you are not using under a clean, damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
