Creamy Brocolli Pie

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 133g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 66.6g salted butter, (cold)
  • 30ml water

For the Filling

  • 1 medium leak, sliced
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 200g broccoli, cut into small pieces
  • 200g swede, parsnip, or celeriac, chopped into 1cm cubes
  • 350ml milk (oat or other depending on your preferences
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • ½ tbsp Dijon mustard

Method – Pastry

  1. Measure out the flour, add the cold butter chopped into small pieces and crumb using your fingers and thumbs to combine the flour and butter a little. Add the water in a hole in the middle and combine all the pastry ingredients together trying not to take too long.
  2. Form into a ball and put in cling film in the fridge for at least an hour or until an hour before you wish to use it.

Method – Filling

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan on a medium heat and fry the leak for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly.  Add the Swede/Parsnip/Celeriac and broccoli, stir and cover and leave to sweat for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft, stirring regularly to ensure that nothing sticks.
  • Meanwhile, to make the sauce, start by heating the non-dairy milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil.  Add the onion and garlic powder and seasoning and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.  Then decant into a jug/container and set aside. 
  • To make the roux, heat 2 tbsp of oil in the saucepan on a medium heat – be careful it doesn’t get too hot as it isn’t necessarily visually obvious when it is hot – then add the flour and stir constantly with a whisk for 1-2 minutes.  Then start to add the hot milk bit by bit, whisking all the time until the mixture is smooth, and all the milk is incorporated. Let the sauce cook for longer if it isn’t thick enough or add a little more milk if it is too thick.
  • Add the sauce to the vegetables and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes, stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the pan.  Once nicely cooked, pour the filling into your pie dish.
  • Roll out the pastry and cover the pie dish, crimping the edges to seal.  Using a sharp knife put a cross in the centre of the pastry to help the hot air come out during cooking. Baste the pastry with a little milk to help it go golden brown.
  • Cook for 30 minutes, turning half way through.