Ingredients
1tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thickly sliced
25g (1oz) dried porcini mushrooms
125g (4½oz) button mushrooms
125g (4½oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
225g (8oz) chestnuts, sliced
300ml (½pt) dry cider
2tbsp fresh thyme leaves
4tbsp double cream
1 free-range egg yolk
150g (5oz) all-butter puff pastry
Method
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onion until just soft. Meanwhile, cover the porcini with hot water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Add the button and chestnut mushrooms to the onion and sauté on a high heat for a few minutes. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid, and add them to the rest of the mushrooms. Add the chestnuts and thyme and mix together. Season well.
Add the cider and 150ml (¼pt) soaking liquid from the porcini, bring to the boil then simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the cream; remove from the heat to cool. This filling will keep for 2 days in the fridge.
When the filling is cool, divide the mix between 2 dishes. Cut out 2 circles of pastry, each 1cm (½in) larger than the dish. Brush the outer edge with egg yolk and place the pastry on it. Glaze the top with the egg yolk, refrigerate for 5 minutes or up to overnight. Heat the oven to 200 C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas 6 and bake for 15 minutes, until the pastry is browned and risen.
Top Tip for making Chestnut, Mushroom and Cider Pie
You could also serve this pie without the pastry, using a slice of goats' cheese instead. Just pop under the grill for a few minutes