Easy Chicken & Mushroom Pie

There are many ways of making a chicken pie, but I think this version adapted from British chef Jamie Oliver's is the easiest and most fun to make.  Use chicken thighs rather than breast for more flavour and mushrooms of your choice - ordinary white mushrooms, Swiss brown, or a mix of the fancier types.  The crust is made by standard frozen pastry sheets 25cm /10" square  in size available from most supermarkets in packages. You'll need two of these for the required thickness, laid on top of each other.  If you can't get hold of these particular ones, or if you are to make your own puff pastry, roughly 340g/ 12oz of it is required.   A little carving before the pastry  goes into the oven transforms it to a perfect pie crust with  raised sides, ready for the delicious filling.  (See step by step illustrations below.)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 420g / 15oz chicken thigh fillets, sliced into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 300g / 10½oz mushrooms 
• 2 x 25cm / 10" square frozen puff pastry sheets, about 340g/ 12oz 
• 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
• 1 cup (250ml / 8¼fl oz) milk
• 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaved parsley
• a handful of baby spinach or rocket

METHOD

1. Slightly thaw puff pastry sheets.  Lay one of them on a large baking tray lined with a piece of baking paper.  Brush a little milk on top of the first pastry sheet and lay the second sheet on top.  With a knife, carve a 3cm border around the edge, careful not to cut all the way through, then very lightly carve a large criss-cross pattern on the inner section.  
2. Brush the top of the pastry with a little milk, then place the baking tray into a preheated  200°C/400°F oven for 18 minutes or until the crust is golden and puffed up.  
3. Remove the baking tray from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.  Transfer the pastry to a serving board.  With a sharp knife, cut around the border just half way through the pastry, then lift the top of the inner section with a fish slice or a large spatula.  It should come off easily, leaving a cavity for the filling.  Set the top aside.  
4. Fill the cavity with a handful of baby spinach or rockets.
5. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan to medium high.  Add the chicken pieces and spread them out in the pan to brown on one side for a minute.  Turn them over to the other side and brown for another minute, then stir them around the pan until cooked through.
6. Add the spring onions and mushrooms to the pan.  Toss them around with the chicken for a minute until they have softened a little.
7. Stir in the flour for a minute, then gradually stir in the milk.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until a thick sauce is formed.  Stir in the mustard and chopped parsley.  Mix well.  Season with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
8. Fill the cavity of the pastry with the filling.  Put the top of the pastry back on.  Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Source (with adaptations): Jamie Oliver