Put all thoughts of a nut roast aside for this year’s Christmas dinner and instead make this rich and juicy Haggis, Chestnut & Ale Pie. Not only does it bring something extra special to the menu, but also to the table – you can’t fail to impress with this dish on the big day!
Packed with traditional festive flavours and brimming with hearty ingredients, even the non-herbivorous diners will be asking for seconds.
Did you know that homemade vegan haggis makes the most wonderful pie filling? It’s just the thing to soak up all that ale.
So what makes this pie so tasty? Well…
- a crisp, savoury lentil and buckwheat haggis bursting with rosemary, sage, cinnamon and pepper;
- a rich sauce of ale-soaked shallots, shiitake mushrooms, apple and chestnuts;
- zingy, sour, fresh cranberries; and
- crunchy thyme wholemeal pastry stars.
I absolutely love the mingling of contrasting and complimentary flavours in this pie. The way the earthy haggis soaks up the hoppy ale and pungent mushrooms; the injection of something sharp from the cranberries into all that savoury comfort; and the little bites of bright thyme in the pastry stars that carry the gravy-like sauce.
Sound tempting? I can assure you, it really, really is. This pie is everything a celebration dish should be. It’s:
- something to share, and enjoy communally;
- rich and filling, tasting of both winter and luxury;
- warming, heady and seasonal; and
- so pretty as a centrepiece.
This is a really simple dish to put together, and all the component parts can be made in advance. Store them in the fridge or freezer, and then put the pie together on the day. So when you’re juggling trays of roast potatoes, maple parsnips, homemade stuffing and red cabbage, this little gem can be waiting patiently to be popped in the oven just before serving.
If you wanted to make the recipe even more special, these Sun Dried Tomato & Olive Crackers would make a great alternative to the pastry stars.
I’ve really enjoyed testing out different ways to make vegan haggis, and this recipe is definitely my favourite. I’ve tried to keep it as traditional as possible, by using lentils, grains and oats; and stuffing it full of hearty vegetables and spices. Once baked in a tin, it can even be turned out and sliced as a main course in its own right – and depending on the size of your finished pie, you’ll most likely have some left over for a side.
Here’s to a bejewelled pie, and a wonderful week in the run-up to Christmas day!
- Haggis
- 50g cooked green lentils
- 50g cooked buckwheat
- 50g rolled oats
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 125g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
- 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp each ground cumin, cinnamon
- A generous amount of black pepper
- 1 tbsp good soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Pie Filling
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 275g (about 3) echalion shallots, finely sliced
- 60g shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
- 90g pre-cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped (I used Merchant Gourmet)
- 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 apple, finely chopped
- 250ml vegan ale (I used Black Sheep)
- 1 tbsp good soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp wholemeal flour
- Black pepper
- 10 cranberries
- Pastry
- 100g wholemeal flour + extra for rolling
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Pinch of good salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
- Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
- Start by making the haggis. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, carrot and chestnut mushrooms to the pan. Once they begin to soften, add the rosemary and sage. Stir in the spices and black pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Now stir in the cooked lentils, buckwheat and oats, together with the soy, maple syrup and lemon juice. Mix well and leave to cook for 5 minutes.
- Oil a pie tin or dish with the remaining olive oil and spoon in the haggis mixture, pressing down firmly with a spoon.
- Cook on the middle shelf for 20-30 minutes, or until firm and crisp on top.
- While the haggis is cooking you can make the filling. Heat the olive oil in the pan you used for the haggis (no need to wash) and add the shallots and shiitake mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or so until soft. Now stir in the chestnuts, apple and sage.
- Pour in the ale, tomato purée, flour and pepper and give it all a good stir until the flour is combined and the sauce is bubbling gently.
- Cook for about 10 minutes. You don't want it to reduce too much, because the haggis will soak up a lot of the liquid.
- While this is cooking, make the pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl and combine with the salt and thyme. Add the oil and water and work together with your hands to form a dough. Don't overwork it, just get it into a ball.
- Lightly flour the surface and roll the pastry out to about 3mm thick. Cut out stars or shapes using a pastry cutter.
- You can now assemble the pie! Slice or spoon out the haggis to form a thick layer on the bottom of a pie dish. Pour over the filling and decorate with the stars. Dot the cranberries in the gaps.
- Cook on the middle shelf for about 25 minutes, or until the pastry stars are lightly browned and crisp.
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