A Chicken and Mushroom Pie

If you like chicken and you like pies, then today you are in for a real treat because the other day I cooked us a Chicken and Mushroom Pie for our tea that was absolutely fabulous.   

With a delicious rich gravy, made all the better for using some pale ale to help flavour it (and cream) and a crisp and flakey puff pastry topping.  This Chicken and Mushroom Pie is a winner all round!

I was able to use the Kingfisher Premium Ale which came in my latest Degustabox for this recipe.   You could actually use any kind of light ale you wish to use. 

Do you like my little cut out chicken shapes in the four corners of the pie?   I know, cute!  I also sprinkled the top with a big of freshly ground black pepper and flaked sea salt after I brushed it with the egg wash.

 





Did you know that sea salt flakes expand when they are heated?   They do. I didn't know that myself.  But when the pie came out of the oven they were twice the size as they were when they went in!

In any case this is one very delicious pie!  With a fabulous gravy and tender pieces of chicken and mushrooms,  and that buttery flaky crust it went down a real treat with some mashed potatoes and a green vegetable on the side!

*Chicken and Mushroom Pie*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe 

One of Britain's favourite pies!   Tender pieces of chicken with mushrooms in a delicious gravy beneath a puff pastry hat.  What's not to like? 

2 TBS light olive oil

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes

1 pound of button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 small onion, peeled and minced

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

50g of butter (scant 1/4 cup)

3 TBS of plain flour

225ml of pale ale (1 cup)

100ml of double cream (3 1/2 fluid ounces, scant half cup)

200ml of good chicken stock (7 fluid ounces or one scant cup)

freshly grated nutmeg, black pepper, white pepper and salt to taste

1 TBS parsley flakes

1 sheet of puff pastry

1 small free range egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

Heat the oil in a large skillet.   Add the chicken and cook until the chicken begins to turn white.  Add the mushrooms and onions and continue to cook, until the chicken is golden brown.  Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for a few more minutes.   Remove from the heat and set aside.

Mix the chicken stock, cream, and seasonings together in a measuring beaker.

Melt the butter in a saucepan.   Whisk in the  flour.   Cook for about 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until smooth.   Whisk in the ale.  Cook, stirring until the mixture begins to thicken.  Whisk in the cream mixture slowly.  Cook over low heat, whisking frequently, until the sauce has thickened.   Stir in the parsley and pour the sauce over the chicken mixture.   Stir to combine.  Pour into a large pie dish and set aside to cool completely before baking.

When you are ready to bake the dish, preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface.  Brush the edges of the pie dish with some beaten egg and lay the pastry on top, pressing down on the edges.  Trim.   Brush the top of the pastry with some beaten egg and cut two or three slits in the top to vent.   If you have any pastry left, you can cut out shapes and decorate the top of the pie with them.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.   Serve hot with mash and a green vegetable.

Some people might see a chicken pie as a waste of a good bottle of lager, but we saw it as a delicious addition to an already delicious pie.  If you don't have any lager, you could just use additional chicken stock.