Easy chicken pie

Serves 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes Ingredients

4 chicken thighs

4 garlic cloves, peeled

6 sprigs thyme

2 tbsp olive oil

10g butter

200g button mushrooms, sliced 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped 2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting 11/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

100ml creme fraiche

300ml chicken stock

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Put the chicken thighs, garlic and thyme leaves in a baking dish, drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Once cool, pick off the chicken meat, discarding the bones, skin, garlic and thyme leaves.

Set a frying pan with the remaining olive oil and the butter on medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and cook, shaking the pan every so often, for five minutes. Add the spring onions and cook for three more minutes.

Tip in the flour and heat, stirring constantly for one minute. Add the Dijon mustard and creme fraiche, and leave to bubble briefly, then stir in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon the filling into a pie dish approximately 25cm by 20cm.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a rectangle slightly larger than the pie dish. Gently lay the pastry over the pie, pressing the edges to seal. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry has risen and is golden brown. Serve with buttery mashed potato for an extra comfort hit.