Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour
Serves
Serves 6–8

From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the filling
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 250g/9oz girolle mushrooms, cleaned
- 3 field mushrooms, sliced
- 150ml/5fl oz white wine
- 200g/7oz baby leaf spinach
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 8 oysters, juices and shells reserved
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
For the hot water crust pastry
- 60g/2¼oz lard
- 60g/2¼oz unsalted butter
- 350g/12oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 free-range egg
For the pastry glaze
- 1 free-range egg, plus 1 free-range egg yolk, beaten
To serve
- tarragon sprigs
- chervil sprigs
Method
To make the filling, heat the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to foam. Add the shallots, bay leaf, fennel seeds and garlic and fry until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms, cook for a few minutes, then add the white wine and reduce until almost no liquid is left in the pan. Add the spinach and allow to wilt, then add the cream. Bring to a boil and reduce for a minute, then stir in half the oysters, the reserved oyster juice and the chopped tarragon. Set aside to cool.
To make the pastry, combine the lard, butter and 150ml/5fl oz of water in a pan and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg in the middle, then cover lightly with flour. When the water comes to a boil, pour it into the flour and immediately mix well to bring everything together.
Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6½.
Divide the dough into 4 balls – 2 larger balls for the pies and 2 smaller for the lids. Line both the pie dishes with the larger pastry balls, pressing the pastry into the dish. Fill both the pies with the mushroom filling, then roll out the lids and place them on top. Crimp around the edges to seal. Brush the pie all over with egg wash. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.
Serve the pies with the remaining oysters in shells on top, with some tarragon and chervil sprigs.