Name: Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 2
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 small skinless chicken breasts (around 120g / 4.2oz each); 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 large brown or white onion, diced; 400g / 14oz mushrooms, sliced; 4 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the pastry; 120ml / 1/2 cup whipping or single cream; 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (see note 1); 400g / 1.3lb puff pastry sheets (see note 2); 1 egg, beaten; 1 baking dish – for 4 portions you’ll need one around 1l in capacity, or a round dish around 22cm / 8.5 inches in diameter. Check out this set of 4 rectangular baking dishes (the second to smallest one is a perfect size) or these round fluted dishes with removable bases.; baking/parchment paper; baking beans – these beans from amazon work great! (see note 3); pastry brush

Question 1

What's in it?

Accepted Answer

You'll need a few straightforward ingredients to make this pie. The main ingredients are:
•	Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless - cut into bite-sized pieces
•	Garlic - finely chopped
•	Brown or white onion - diced
•	Chestnut or button mushrooms, sliced
•	Plain / all-purpose flour
•	Single or whipping cream
•	Wholegrain mustard
•	Puff pastry sheets (you can use ready-made or homemade)

Question 2

How to make it

Accepted Answer

Although there are a few steps to make this recipe, it's pretty easy to pull together:
1.	Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F.
2.	Lightly fry the chicken in a pan/skillet until browned all over. 
3.	Add the onion and cook for a further 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further mintue. 
4.	Stir the flour into the pan and cook for around 30 seconds before pouring in the cream and sprinkling in the thyme. Allow to bubble gently for a few minutes until thickened.
5.	Remove the pan from the heat and add the peas and mustard. Set aside to cool. 
6.	Line the inside of the pie dish with the pastry and prick several times on the bottom with a fork. 
7.	Add some baking paper over the pastry and then pour in the baking beans or some raw rice. 
8.	Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then trim the edges of the pastry so it is only around 1cm longer than the edges of the dish. 
9.	Spoon the pie mixture into the dish and then brush the top edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Add another layer of pastry over the top of the pie and press around the edges to seal. Trim any excess pastry which is overhanging away. Brush the top of the pie with egg and then make a hole in the middle with a knife. 
10.	Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Question 3

Can I make it in advance?

Accepted Answer

You can make this chicken and mushroom pie in advance, but the pastry won't be as crisp as if you make it from scratch as the process of cooling or freezing and reheating will affect the texture. If you do have leftovers you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to a month before thawing fully. Always reheat in the oven to help the pastry crisp up. 

If you want to do advance prep then, for best results, make the filling in advance and store it in the fridge. Follow the steps to blind bake the pastry and assemble the pie before you want to serve.

Question 4

Do I need to blind bake the puff pastry?

Accepted Answer

There is a lot of conflicting information about whether you should blind bake puff pastry and how you should do it. Puff pastry is no exception to the fact that if you are using a creamy filling, the bottom of the pie will become soggy if not pre-baked, therefore I never miss this step. I also still use weights when blind baking puff pastry to stop the bottom from ballooning up.
If you are new to blind baking then it's very easy. You are simply baking the pastry lining the pie dish before filling it so that the creamy insides don't make the base of the pie limp and floppy. The basic steps are:
1.	Line the pie dish with pastry and carefully press it in around the sides so the pastry is flush with the edges.
2.	Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork.
3.	Line the pie dish with some baking paper and then fill it with baking beans - these are small ceramic weights which will stop the pastry from ballooning up when you bake it without the filling. You can alternatively use raw rice for this - you won't be able to cook with it after but you can keep the rice in a jar to reuse next time you come to blind bake. 
4.	Bake the base of the pie in the oven for 15 minutes until lightly golden and then remove the baking paper and baking beans and assemble the rest of the pie.

Question 5

Can I use another type of pastry?

Accepted Answer

Shortcrust pastry works great for this recipe too. While puff pastry is more buttery and flaky, shortcrust can be easier to work with and is sturdier so can be a better option if you want to remove the pie from the dish after baking. If you use shortcrust pastry then you can also buy this readymade from the supermarket or you can make it at home yourself (you can find out how in this Homity pie recipe). It is very simple and easy (which unfortunately can't be said of making homemade puff pastry!)

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition