Chicken & Mushroom Pies

Since the beginning of my relationship with my partner pies have become common on the menu. Being British, he is extremely fond of pies. Moreover, my dad is a pastry lover and would eat pretty much anything that is wrapped in pastry. Although not the healthiest, pastry being rich in butter, every so often I like to surprise them both with a pie. 

Below is one of my favourite pie recipes. As you all may know, I pretty much live on chicken as I'm not very fond of meat. This recipe is quite simple and straightforward and easy to follow. 

For the pastry I usually make double or triple the amount and freeze what I don't use. That way, all I need to do the next time I make a pie is get some pastry out of the freezer a few hours before cooking and allow it to thaw. So convenient!

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Ingredients: 

For the pastry: 
- 300 g plain flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum 
- 140 g butter, diced 
- 2 eggs, beaten separately 
- half tsp salt
- half a cup of water

For the mixture: 
- olive oil 
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- diced chicken breast
- 150 g mushrooms, sliced
- half a cup of frozen peas 
- 1 cup chicken stock 
- salt & pepper 
- 1 cup single cream 
- 2 tsp corn flour
- pinch of nutmeg 
- half a teaspoon of parsley

Method: 

For the pastry, put the flour, gum, butter and salt in a good processor and whizz until there are no lumps left. Dribble one of the eggs into the processor while whizzing until the pastry starts to come together. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time if it is too dry. Knead dough for a few minutes, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. 

In the meantime, fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the diced chicken breast and cook until the chicken begins to turn white. Add the chopped mushrooms and peas and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and leave to simmer until there is almost no liquid left. Pour in the cream and mix over a medium heat. Add the nutmeg, parsley and salt and pepper to season. Mix in the corn flour to thicken. Once thickened remove from heat. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface and transfer to a baking tin or foil tray. Press down the sides and trim. Spoon the chicken & mushroom mixture into the dish. Top with another layer of pastry and using a fork press down the edges. Make two or three slits in the top of the pie to allow the stem to escape then bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.