← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 40 g Butter
• 100 g smoked bacon lardons (optional)
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• 1 clove Garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp Plain (all-purpose) flour
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 200 ml Milk
• 100 ml Double (heavy) cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 sprigs Thyme, leaves picked
• 1 handful Parsley, chopped
• 320 g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
• 1 Eggs, beaten
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large pan over high heat. Season the chicken and fry for 5–6 min until golden on the outside (it will finish cooking in the oven). Lift out with a slotted spoon.
2. Add the remaining butter and the bacon, onion and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 8 min until the mushrooms are golden and their liquid has gone. Stir in the garlic and flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Gradually stir in the stock, then the milk, and simmer for 3–4 min, stirring, until thick and smooth. Return the chicken with the cream, mustard, thyme and parsley, season and simmer for 5 min.
4. Spoon the filling into a 1.2 litre pie dish and let it cool for 10 min so the pastry does not melt on contact. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F).
5. Lay the pastry over the dish, trim, press the edges onto the rim and crimp with a fork. Cut a small steam hole in the middle and brush with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 25–30 min until the pastry is puffed and deep golden and the filling bubbles at the edges; the chicken should reach 75°C (165°F). Rest for 5 min before serving with mash and peas.

Tips

• Leftover roast chicken works too: skip step 1 and stir it in with the cream.
• Pie dish not deep? Put a pie funnel or upturned egg cup in the middle to hold the pastry up.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Food BBC Food