It's essential to make the coulis with this dish - it cuts through the slightly floury taste of the chestnuts and gives it a real lift. This recipe is from the very glossy New Vegetarian by Celia Brooks Brown, very slightly modified. Tomato and ginger coulis
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and Madeira and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the stove and let cool a little, then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Filo pie
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onions, mushrooms, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook until softened and the juices have evaporated. Add the garlic, fry briefly, then add the chestnuts and the spinach and fry for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted. Add the marmalade and stir through, then remove from heat. Season to taste. Working with one sheet of filo at a time (keep the rest covered with a damp cloth to stop them drying out), line a buttered 24 cm springform tin. Press a sheet gently into the bottom and sides of the tin and let the edges overhang. Brush with melted butter and slightly overlap with another sheet. Continue to layer and butter the sheets as before, until the base and sides of the tin are completely covered. Spoon in the filling and smooth flat. Fold in the overhanging filo towards the centre to cover the filling and ruffle the top so the filo stands in peaks. Brush with butter. Bake at 180C for 20-30 minutes, then unmould carefully and slide onto a baking sheet. Brush the sides of the pie with butter. Return to the oven for another 10-20 minutes, until golden and crisp all over. Let stand for a few minutes. Reheat the coulis. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with the coulis poured over. Serves 6-8. |
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