Bunya Bunya Nut Vegetarian Pie

Bunya Bunya Nut Vegetarian Pie

Bunya Bunya Nut Vegetarian Pie (adapted from a recipe by Jean-Paul Bruneteau). Prep. time 60 mins. 200g prepared refried Bunya nut pastry; 50g munthari; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 2 large mushrooms, sliced; 2 shiitake or Chinese mushrooms, sliced; 1 medium carrot, grated; 1 small kumara, thinly sliced, and paperbark baked; ½ teaspoon mountain pepper; 1 red capsicum, chopped; 1 medium potato, sliced and steamed; 75g warrigal greens, blanched; 1 large tomato, blanched and peeled; ½ teaspoon native thyme oil for frying; 100ml cream; 1 medium-sized head of broccoli, steamed; 100g aged cheddar cheese, grated; 2 teaspoons akudjura. Press the prepared refried bunya nut pastry into an oiled, loose bottomed pie plate appropriate for 4 serving. Make the sides about 1cm thick. In a frying pan the same size as the pie plate, stir-fry the munthari with the onions until the onions are translucent but not brown and lightly season with salt. Add the garlic, stir briefly and then add the mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms soften and spread the mix over the prepared pie crust, reserving a small amount for the topping. Next fry the grated carrot, spread it on top of the mushroom mix and season with the mountain pepper. Add the steamed slices of kumara. Fry the capsicum and the sliced tomato until relatively dry and reserve for the topping. Chop the blanched warrigal greens and squeeze out the moisture. Spread as the next layer followed by the potato, seasoned with native thyme. To prepare the topping reduce the cream by half, together with the broccoli arranged with the flowers set for the top. Add in the reserved mushrooms, capsicum and tomato scattering them around the broccoli and sprinkle the lot with the cheese seasoned with akudjura. Place the pan under the grill to melt the cheese and slip the topping into place to finish the pie. Cover with foil ensuring that the aluminum is not in contact with the food (aluminum foil reacts with food fats; the plastic coating is carcinogenic while the metal may contribute to Alzheimer's disease). Bake the covered pie at 250ºC for 50 minutes, uncovering it for the final 15 minutes. Cool a little before slicing. Serve slices with a native flavored chutney and a scatter of fine diced Roma tomatoes drizzled with aniseed myrtle oil.