“Suicide by pie” is how the narrator in a book I read recently (Big Brother by Lionel Shriver) described her brother’s morbid obesity.  The book takes quite an interesting look at obesity and depression, relationships with food and the judgements and assumptions we make based on weight, but I confess that this sentence rather took me out of the drama for a while.  All I could think was:  “Suicide by pie?  What a way to go.”  This was closely followed by about an hour of Homer Simpson-style drooling:  “Mmm, pie.”

I probably wouldn’t recommend eating yourself into oblivion, but I would always recommend pie.  This is a Sunday dinner sort of pie with its hearty mushrooms and robust flavour.  Enjoy in moderation.

Chestnut Bourguignon Pie

Serves 4, from BBC GoodFood

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

8 shallots, peeled and sliced

1 tsp parsley

125g chestnut mushrooms, quartered

125g button mushrooms, halved if large

150g chestnuts, halved

100ml red wine

400ml vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 sheet puff pastry

a little non-dairy milk for brushing the pastry

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 200C.

2.  Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the shallots for about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes.

3.  Tip in the mushrooms and fry for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chestnuts.

4.  Pour in the wine and stock and add the bay leaves.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the liquid is reduced.

5.  Remove the bay leaves.  Stir in the mustard and soy sauce, along with a generous serving of black pepper.

6.  Carefully pour the mushroom mixture into a pie dish.

7.  Brush the edges of the pie dish with a little water or soya milk.  Cover with the pastry sheet, and trim it with a knife.  Brush the pastry with a little more milk.

8.  Cook for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.  Slice it up and serve!