Prep Time 20 minutes - Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes - Serves 5
Steak pie, mince and onion, pork pie, cheese pie, any pie with mash or chips. I love them all, and I especially love chicken and mushroom pie.
There is something about a pie that just screams comfort. Breaking through that pie crusts with your folk to reveal that beautiful filling, the steam and the amazing smells wafting up through the air, it just makes you smell.
(You will also find this recipe on page 114 of my book Richard’s Family Favourites click here)
Ingredients
1 red onion, cut in half and finely sliced.
1 leek, cut in half lengthways and finely sliced.
1 kg skinless & boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips.
200 g smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped.
1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves, save some for the egg wash.
1 handful of fresh tarragon, roughly chopped.
1 tbsp of plain flour.
300 g button mushrooms or use a mix. Any big ones cut in half and small ones leave whole.
1 glass of white wine.
400 ml chicken stock.
50 ml double cream.
1 knob of butter.
2 egg yolks.
1 sheet or block of shortcrust pastry or alternatively you could use puff pastry.
Method
Put the bacon in a large casserole dish with a splash of olive oil and fry over a medium heat till they start to take on some colour, around 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken and mix everything together and fry over a high heat for 10 minutes, get some colour on it. If need be, do this in two batches. You don’t want to overcrowd the dish, otherwise, it will start stewing and boil instead of frying. Then remove the bacon and chicken from the dish and place to one side.
Turn the heat right down and fry the leeks, onions and thyme in the knob of butter and with a splash of olive and a pinch of salt. Slow fry for 20 minutes.
When the onions and leeks are nice and soft add the bacon, chicken, mushrooms and the tarragon along with the flour and mix well. Cook the flour out for a couple of minutes then turn up the heat and add the white wine and reduce.
Once the wine has reduced to almost nothing add the chicken stock, you want enough to just cover everything. Bring to the boil then turn the heat right down and simmer on a low light for 30 minutes.
Once the filling is done check for seasoning and adjust accordingly if need be and then stir through the cream. You can use the filling straight away or leave till you are ready to make your pie. Transfer the filling to a pie dish and fill to top, then with a bit of water wet the edge of the pie dish so when you pop the lid on it will stick. Take the sheet or block of pastry and roll the lid out, you want it slightly bigger than the pie dish. Place the pastry on top of the pie trying to avoid any air bubbles, you want it to just overhang. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges and crimp making sure the edge sticks.
Mix the 2 egg yolks together and give the pastry a good brushing. Using a knife make a hole in the middle of the pie then sprinkle over some flaked salt and a few thyme leaves. Now it’s time to place in a preheated oven set at 180℃ for 30-45 minutes, or until the pastry is a beautiful golden colour. When done, take to the middle of the table for everybody to tuck in. I like to serve the pie with loads of mash and garden peas.
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