Simple Seaside Pie
This one has a real special place in our hearts. There's something about a proper pie that just feels like a hug, and this Simple Seaside Pie delivers every single time. We've packed it with aubergine, mushrooms, capers and all those briny, savoury flavours that remind you of being by the coast. The filling is rich and deeply satisfying, topped off with something golden and gorgeous that makes it look way more impressive than the effort involved. Honestly, make this tonight and you will not regret it.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Baking dish
- Large saucepan
- Deep frying pan
- Colander
- Potato masher
- Grater
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp capers - with brine
- 1 large white onion
- 2 garlic cloves large
- 2 small aubergine
- 400g speciality mushrooms
- 100ml white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 200ml oat milk
- 20g parsley leaves
- 100g frozen peas - defrosted
- 2 tbsp plant-based butter
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 800g Maris Piper potatoes
Method
Prepare the vegetables
- Peel and finely chop the onions
- Peel and grate the garlic
- Cut the stalks off the aubergines and cut them into 1cm cubes
- Roughly chop the mushrooms
- Finely chop the parsley
Start cooking the filling
- Warm some olive oil in a deep frying over a low heat, add the onions and sweat them down slowly for 5-7 minutes
- Add the garlic to the pan and stir for 1 minute
- Add the capers (with the brine) to the pan and stir for 30 seconds
- Add the aubergine and the mushrooms to the pan and stir for 1 minute
- Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and simmer for 4-5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated
- Add the oat milk to the pan, turn up the heat slightly and leave the filling to simmer and thicken for 5 minutes
- Take the pan off the heat, pour in the peas and parsley leaves and fold them into the filling
While the filling is cooking
- Peel and the quarter the potatoes, add them to a large saucepan and cover with cold water
- Put the pan on the stove over a high heat, sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil
- When the water is boiling, cook the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until tender
- Drain the potatoes into a colander and leave them to steam dry for 5 minutes
- Pour the potatoes back into the saucepan, add the mustard and dairy free butter and mash until smooth
- Taste the potato and season with salt and pepper
Bake and serve
- Pour the filling in to baking dish and smooth out with a spoon
- Spoon the mashed potato over the filling and smooth it out over the filling with a spoon
- Scrape wave patterns into the potato with the back of a fork
- Put the Seaside Pie in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the potato is turning golden and crispy
- Remove the pie from the oven and serve immediately
Tips & Variations
- Chop size matters: Keep your aubergine cubes around 1cm so they cook evenly and don't turn to mush. We've made the mistake of going too big before and it throws the whole texture off.
- Make it your own: Ian loves chucking in a handful of olives with the capers for extra brininess. Henry usually sneaks in a pinch of smoked paprika too. Both work brilliantly.
- Rest before serving: Give the pie a good 5 minutes to sit after it comes out of the oven. It helps everything settle and means you get clean, satisfying slices rather than a lovely but chaotic mess.
Why This Works
The trick here is sweating the onions down nice and slowly at the start. Don't rush that bit, it builds a sweet, deep base that carries everything else. The capers bring this brilliant hit of saltiness that ties the whole filling together and gives it that seaside vibe we were going for.