Parsnip, chestnut, sprout & sage filo pie

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 10g finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large parsnip, grated
• 150g cooked chestnuts, chopped
• 500g brussels sprouts
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 125g coconut yoghurt
• 2 tbsp miso
• 125g plant-based butter
• 7 sheets (270g) of plant-based filo pastry
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a very large saucepan, then add the onions, celery and garlic. Fry over a medium heat for 10 mins until they turn translucent, stirring the whole time.

Add the fennel seeds, chopped sage, black pepper and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Mix well and cook for another 3 mins. Add the grated parsnip and chestnuts and cook these for a further 5 mins.

Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to shave the brussels sprouts into fine shreds, discarding the hard stalk ends. Add the shredded sprouts to the pan, mix well and cook for 10 mins, adding a splash of oil if needed. Stir the whole time so they don’t catch.

Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and 1 tsp fine salt, mix well, then stir through the coconut yoghurt and miso. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.

Heat the oven to 175C. Melt the plant-based butter in a pan, then brush all over a deep 23cm x 23cm square baking tray (or equivalent). Lay your first filo sheet down to cover half of the baking tray, with a large overhang at the rim, then brush with more butter and lay down the second filo sheet to cover the over half. Layer and butter two more of the filo sheets for the base, ensuring they come up over the sides all the way around.

Spoon in all of the parsnip-sprout filling, pressing down evenly with a spatula. Next place the final three sheets of filo pastry over the top, brushing each one with more butter. Bring the pastry in at the sides, ruffling and scrunching it into a nice design around the sides of the tray to fully encase the filling.

Brush with more butter on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 25 mins until golden on top. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 5 mins. Enjoy with a green salad. It’s also delicious cold.

Image: Stuart Ovenden