Rachel Khoo: Magical Mushrooms

My latest TV show has sent me on a European tour for the past few weeks and I’ve eaten all manner of amazing local specialities. But of all the things I crave when I am on the road, it is the humble British pie. I can’t deny that I love a good quiche Lorraine, a sweetly spiced kanelbullar or a custard-filled pastel de nata, but a rich and hearty savoury pie, like this wild mushroom and leek one, is just the pick-me-up for autumn entertaining.

Wild mushroom and leek pies

Makes 2 small pies

400g mixed wild mushrooms (girolles, trompettes, chanterelles)

1 tbsp olive oil

8 leeks, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4 sprigs of thyme

100ml dry white wine

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

4 generous tbsp crème fraîche

200g all-butter puff pastry

2 tsp nigella seeds

100g goat’s cheese

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Clean the mushrooms with a brush or a damp piece of kitchen roll. Heat a heavy-based saucepan and add the oil and a generous knob of butter. Add the leeks to the saucepan and turn down to a low to medium heat. Add the garlic, followed by the thyme leaves. Season and sweat down for about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes, then add the wine and vinegar. Let the wine evaporate, then take off the heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Prepare the pastry. Dust your work surface very lightly. Scatter the nigella seeds over the surface and roll out the pastry to about ½cm thick on the seeds, so that they get encrusted in the pastry. Prepare two 10cm ramekins. Cut the pastry into two pieces each about 3cm bigger than the ramekin. Divide the filling between the ramekins, crumble in the goat’s cheese, then brush the edges lightly with beaten egg. Press the pastry around the rim to seal. Trim off any excess pastry and cut a cross in the top. Brush twice with beaten egg before cooking in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffy.