Chicken & mushroom pie

Name: Chicken & mushroom pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 600 g British chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips; 25 g butter; 1 x 200g pack exotic mixed mushrooms, large ones sliced; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 25 g plain flour; 125 ml white wine; 250 ml chicken stock; 2 tsp Cooks' Ingredients Porcini Mushroom Paste; ¼ x 20g pack thyme, leaves only, finely chopped; 150 ml double cream

Martha Collison's recipe encases juicy chicken and earthy mushrooms in a buttery pastry pie.

4 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe

Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare30 mins
Cook1 hr 20 mins
Total time1 hr 50 mins
Pluscooling

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Ingredients

For the filling

2 tbsp olive oil
600g British chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips
25g butter
1 x 200g pack exotic mixed mushrooms, large ones sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
25g plain flour
125ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
2 tsp Cooks' Ingredients Porcini Mushroom Paste
¼ x 20g pack thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
150ml double cream

For the pastry

175g butter, diced
350g plain flour
1 British Blacktail Free Range Medium Egg, beaten, to glaze

Method

Warm 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and cook the chicken until lightly coloured all over. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the butter and remaining oil to the pan, and fry the mushrooms with some seasoning over a high heat for 4-5 minutes until well browned. Reduce the heat to low and add the onion and garlic, cooking for about 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir until all the ingredients are coated.
Turn up the heat and pour the white wine into the pan, stirring until a thick paste forms. Stir in the chicken stock, porcini paste and thyme, then put the cooked chicken back into the pan. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until the liquid is reduced, then mix in the double cream and continue to heat for a further 8-10 minutes until thickened. Season. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
To make the pastry, place the butter and flour into a food processor, and blitz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 3-4 tbsp cold water and pulse until the mixture begins to clump, then tip out onto a piece of parchment paper. Knead the pastry briefly, then divide into two equal portions, wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5 and put a baking sheet in to heat up. Take a 23cm pie dish and roll out half the chilled pastry into a large circle around 30cm in diameter. Carefully line the pie dish with the pastry, pressing it right into the edges. Trim any overhanging dough with a knife, then fill the case with the cooled filling. Brush the pastry edges with some of the beaten egg.
Roll the other half of the pastry out in the same way as before, then lay over the top of the filled pie dish. Press the pastry edges together and trim off any overhanging dough. Use your fingertips to crimp the pastry edges to create a seal.
Make a small cross incision in the centre of the pie using a sharp knife to allow steam to escape, then brush the top with beaten egg. Place the pie dish on top of the hot baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Serve piping hot with mounds of buttery mash and leafy greens.

Cook’s tip

This pie is a great make-ahead dish. Cook and chill the filling up to 3 days before you want to serve the pie, then assemble with the pastry and bake when you’re ready to eat. You can also freeze the whole unbaked pie and bake from frozen – simply reduce the oven temperature to 170°C, gas mark 3 and bake for double the time, or until crisp and golden on top and piping hot throughout.