CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PIE
A classic pie that’s wonderfully warming but perfect in any weather.
SERVES 6
✣ 1 large chicken
✣ 1 stick of celery, cut into chunks
✣ 1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
✣ 4 sprigs of thyme
✣ 4 stalks of fresh parsley ✣ 2 bay leaves
✣ 6 black peppercorns
✣ 25g (¾oz) dried porcini mushrooms
✣ 50g (1¾oz) butter, plus a knob
✣ Splash of olive oil
✣ 2 large leeks, sliced
✣ 250g (9oz) wild mushrooms, sliced
✣ 375g (13oz) pack puff pastry
✣ 50g (1¾oz) plain flour ✣ 250ml (8fl oz) cider
✣ 150ml (¼pt) double cream
✣ Milk, for brushing You will need:
✣ 1.25ltr (2pt) pie dish
1 Put the chicken in a large pan with the celery, carrot, thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover with water and a lid, then simmer for 1 hr. Remove the chicken and leave to cool, then strip off the meat. Skim the fat from the liquor and reserve 600ml (1pt). 2 Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in hot water and set aside for later.
Heat the knob of butter in a frying pan along with the olive oil and then brown the leeks and wild mushrooms.
3 Cut out a circle of pastry 1cm (½in) larger than the pie dish and chill. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, stir in the flour and keep stirring while you add the reserved liquor and cider. Cook until thickened. Stir in the cream, chicken, vegetables and porcini mushrooms, plus their juice. 4 Heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Put the filling in the pie dish and cover with pastry. Brush with a little milk. Bake for 25-30 mins, or until the pastry is nicely brown and the filling is hot.
PER SERVING 731 cals, 45g fat, 23g sat fat, 31g carbs