Vegetarian pithivier with watercress and pistachio pesto recipe
This nutty pithivier makes an excellent vegetarian or vegan alternative to a Christmas roast – and it works well with all the trimmings.
Ingredients
- 2 x 320g (11oz) sheets puff pastry (use non-dairy pastry if vegan)
- 200 g savoy cabbage leaves
- 250 g mixed nuts
- 400 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 clementines, zest of one and juice of both
- 4 tbsp almond milk
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp each finely chopped thyme, sage and rosemary leaves
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, juice
- 180 g canned or vacuum-packed chestnuts, crumbled
- 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 60 g dried figs or dates, finely chopped
- 25 g flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 x 320g (11oz) sheets puff pastry (use non-dairy pastry if vegan)
- 7.1 oz savoy cabbage leaves
- 8.8 oz mixed nuts
- 14.1 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 clementines, zest of one and juice of both
- 4 tbsp almond milk
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp each finely chopped thyme, sage and rosemary leaves
- 10.6 oz chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, juice
- 6.3 oz canned or vacuum-packed chestnuts, crumbled
- 3.5 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 2.1 oz dried figs or dates, finely chopped
- 0.9 oz flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 x 320g (11oz) sheets puff pastry (use non-dairy pastry if vegan)
- 7.1 oz savoy cabbage leaves
- 8.8 oz mixed nuts
- 14.1 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 clementines, zest of one and juice of both
- 4 tbsp almond milk
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp each finely chopped thyme, sage and rosemary leaves
- 10.6 oz chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, juice
- 6.3 oz canned or vacuum-packed chestnuts, crumbled
- 3.5 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 2.1 oz dried figs or dates, finely chopped
- 0.9 oz flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 50 g pistachios, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 50 g watercress, chopped
- 25 g flat leaf parsley
- 25 g mint, leaves picked
- 125 ml olive oil
- 1.8 oz pistachios, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1.8 oz watercress, chopped
- 0.9 oz flat leaf parsley
- 0.9 oz mint, leaves picked
- 4.4 fl oz olive oil
- 1.8 oz pistachios, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1.8 oz watercress, chopped
- 0.9 oz flat leaf parsley
- 0.9 oz mint, leaves picked
- 0.5 cup olive oil
Details
- Cuisine: French
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 60 mins
- Cooking Time: 90 mins
- Serves: 8
Step-by-step
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry a little thinner, to a 32cm (13in) square; cut out a circle 32cm (13in) in diameter. Roll out the second sheet to a 29cm (11in) square and cut out a 29cm (11in) circle; chill both until needed.
- Blanch the cabbage in a pan of boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain, refresh in cold water and drain well again. Dry on a clean tea towel and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C/390˚F/gas mark 6. Tip 125g (4.4oz) nuts onto a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes, or until golden. Cool, then roughly crush and set aside. Tip the remaining nuts into a food processor with the chickpeas, tahini, clementine zest and juice, and 4 tbsp almond milk. Season and whizz until smooth; scrape into a large bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli and chopped herbs. Cook gently without colouring for about 5–6 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and any liquid has evaporated. Stir in the crumbled chestnuts.
- Tip this mixture into the nut mixture, and beat in with the breadcrumbs, figs or dates, parsley and reserved crushed nuts; season and set aside to cool.
- Put the smaller circle of pastry on a baking sheet. Lay ⅓ of the cabbage leaves, overlapping, in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 4cm (1.5in) rim all around. Top with the nut mixture, shaping it into a flattish mound; cover with the remaining leaves.
- For the glaze, mix the almond milk with the agave syrup and brush around the edges of the pastry. Place the larger circle of pastry on top and press around the edges to seal. Brush all over with the glaze, then use a small paring knife to score lines down the pastry at 2cm intervals; chill for 30 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 220˚C/430˚F/gas mark 7. Put the pie in the oven on the bottom shelf and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature back to 200˚C/390˚F/gas mark 6, turn the tray around and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Turn the tray again and cook for another 10–20 minutes, until golden all over and a cool skewer inserted into the centre of the pie comes out hot.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. Tip the pistachios and garlic into a food processor and whizz until roughly chopped. Add the watercress, parsley and mint and whizz again until finely chopped, then gradually pour in the olive oil, until a rough paste is formed. Scrape out into a bowl and season. Serve the pithivier warm with the pesto.
This recipe is courtesy of Waitrose. You can find more Christmas recipe inspiration on the Waitrose website.
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