Sophie Conran's chicken and mushroom pie
This is a real family pie, packed with chicken, mushrooms and gravy - it's also great with added cooked carrots or extra mushrooms
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Prep time: 30 mins
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Cooking time: 2 hrs
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Total time: 2 hrs 30 mins
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Serves: 4-6
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Skill level: Bit of effort
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Costs: Cheap as chips
Ingredients
Forgot to buy a pack of readymade puff pastry? Make your own with our easy puff pastry recipe
- 1 1.6kg (3½lb) whole chicken
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 1 stick of celery, sliced
- Few sprigs of parsley
- 25g (1oz) of butter
- 3tbsp plain flour
- 250g (8oz) baby button mushrooms, halved
- 3tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 (300g) pack readymade puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Place the chicken in a large pot with the onion, carrot, celery and parsley and cover with about 1.5ltr/3pts water. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer it for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.
- Lift the chicken from the pan, cool slightly, then use a knife and fork to remove all the meat from the bones and skin. Reserve the meat and discard the bones and skin. Drain the stock and discard the vegetables.
- Return the stock to the heat and boil rapidly for 20 mins or until it is about a third of its original volume. Measure the stock - you should have about 600ml/1pt. This can all be done the previous day if you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC (Fan 200ºC / gas mark 7). Gently melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and let it bubble for a couple minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, whisking all the time with a balloon whisk until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat, stir in the mushrooms and leave to gently simmer for 4 mins. Season to taste. Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks and stir into the sauce with the parsley.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Place a 1.4ltr/2½pt oval pie dish in the centre of the pastry, roughly cut around it. Now, cut strips of pastry from the pastry remaining around the edges of the dish. Brush the rim of the pie dish and attach the pastry strips to it. Spoon the chicken filling into the dish. Brush the pastry edges with water then lay the pastry on top.
- Trim the edges, then pinch them together to seal. Use any scraps of pastry to make decorations for the top, attaching them with water. Brush the top of the pie all over with beaten egg. Make a steam hole in the centre of the pie. Place on a baking tray and bake for 25 mins or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with creamed potatoes and buttered carrots.
By Mushroom UK
Nutritional information per portion
- Calories 726(kcal)
- Fat 38.2g
- Saturates 14.8g
- Sugars 1.7g
- Salt 1.9g
This nutritional information is only a guide and is based on 2,000 calories per day. For more information on eating a healthy diet, please visit the Food Standards Agency website.
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.
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Your comments
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Angela Davey, posted 6 months ago
This pie is one I often make but I roast the chicken, have a meal from it then remove all left over meat to use for pie filling. On the day of roast, I make extrs gravy to use in pie. I create more gravy by gently frying an onion and mushrooms until there is a lovely juice. I drain the vegetables and add them to the pie filling, then thicken this juice with a little flour, stir in some milk and simmer gently. Then add to yesterday's gravy. Then you have a choice, either part cook some brocolli florets and pop them in as well, before covering top with creamy mash potato. Or, my favourite is to cover with homemade pastry. This pastry could even be made 2 or 3 days in advance. I usually freeze this without baking. Then there will be a lovely freshly cooked pie for tea when you are in a hurry. (Remember to defrost) Dot some butter over potato topped pie and glaze the pastry pie top with beaten egg for a beautiful golden sheen. Sorry Sophie, but mine is nicer.
