Pumpkin Pie

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4-6

Ingredients

500g (3 ½ cups) plain flour

Pinch fine sea salt

250g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 tbsp white vinegar

100-150ml iced water

1 egg, lightly beaten

Pumpkin & Rice Filling

1kg kent or butternut pumpkin, cut into large chunks with the skin left on

100ml extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

1 tsp mixed spice

½ tsp ground cinnamon

100g short-grain brown rice

1 onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

50g (⅓ cup) pine nuts, toasted

60g (⅓ cup) raisins

1 Roma tomato, roughly chopped

Large handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

Large handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper

Method

Tip the flour onto a clean work surface and sprinkle with the salt. Add the butter and toss so that all the pieces are coated. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, until you have a mixture that’s the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Try to leave some larger pieces, as this will create a flaky crust during baking. Sprinkle over the vinegar, then pour over the water- just a little at a time, as you may not need it all and it is much easier to add more as you go than to have too much in the beginning. Bring the flour and butter together with your hands to form a dough with no dry crumbs left. Divide into two, flatten into rounds and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

For the filling, arrange the pumpkin on the prepared tray, skin-side down. Drizzle with half of the olive oil and scatter with salt and the spices. Roast for around 35 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool, then scoop the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the skin.

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions until tender, then drain and add to the pumpkin. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over a low heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 10-15 minutes until soft and just beginning to colour. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute until fragrant. Add the onion mixture to the pumpkin and allow to cool. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season well.

Line a 20cm round baking tray with baking paper.

Remove the pastry dough from the fridge 5 minutes before you are ready to use it, as this will make it easier to roll. On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry pieces into a 24cm circle about 2.5 mm thick. Drape the pastry over the tray- there should be about 2cm of overhang pastry. Roll out the second piece of dough to the same size. Spoon the pumpkin filling over the pastry base, spread it all the way to the edge. Drape the second piece of pastry over the filling and trim both layers of pastry so that there is only 1 cm of overhanging pastry, Press the pastry together, folding and crimping the pie to seal it all in. It should now be sitting snugly within the tray. Whisk 1 teaspoon of water into the egg to make a wash. Make a cut in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape and brush the pie with the egg wash. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pie has puffed up and the pastry is golden.