Mischievous Chicken Pot Pie

My chicken pot pie started off very experimental and ended up a real hearty delight! My naughty additions of cream and ale make this traditional pie a real indulgent little treat!

My recipe makes 2-3 individual pies.
You will need:

·         1 or 2 puff pastry sheets and 1 whisked egg for egg wash

·         4 boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets

·         1 large carrot

·         2 celery stalks

·         2 handfuls of chestnut mushrooms (aprox. 6 medium mushrooms- I have small hands!)

·         Half an onion (I use red for vibrant colour!)

·         A handful of fresh, chopped parsley

·         3 garlic cloves

·         2 bay leaves

·         1 teaspoon of nutmeg

·         5 whole peppercorns

·         125ml of single cream

·         2 tablespoons of plain flour

·         100g of butter

·         Chicken concentrate/stock/broth (about 300ml)

·         75ml of good quality ale

First prepare the veg by chopping up the carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Set aside and prepare the chicken, cutting into bitesize chunks. Preheat the oven to 200C and put oil into one frying pan as well as a saucepan and heat. When hot, add chicken to the frying pan and fry for 5 minutes, stirring regularly and spice with the nutmeg (about a teaspoon). Meanwhile put onions and garlic in the saucepan and sweat for 5 minutes before adding the carrots, celery, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves and top with the chicken stock- simmer for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms to the frying pan and stir with the chicken regularly. Once the mushrooms have shrunk and browned, add and melt the butter in the pan before gradually adding 2 tablespoons of flour (to make a roux).

A roux is a mix of butter and flour which gives it that pie texture.

 Add the single cream and then pour all the contents into the saucepan. For the mischievous part, ladle 75ml of good quality ale (that’s about ¾ of a ladle) before simmering for 5 minutes.

Remember to taste your pie filling before seasoning accordingly! Cool for a few minutes before pouring into your oven-proof pots (or casserole dish) to avoid the steam from the filling wetting the pastry. Roll out your pastry so that there is enough to hang over the edges of the pot/dish. If you have some pastry left over, create some shapes for extra decoration! Place the pastry over the dish and egg wash before putting in the oven for 15-20 minutes (until the pastry rises and turns golden). I served this hearty dish with roasted baby new potatoes which were a great crispy addition to the meal!