Chicken and Mushroom Pies

Chicken Favourites, p. 61

2 tablespoons olive oil

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm(3/4 inch) dice

3 tablespoons butter

1 leek, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

150 g (5 ½ oz) Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons dry white wine

2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock

125 ml (1/2 cup) cream

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped sage

2 sheets butter puff pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

BEHOLD THIS VAGUELY PHALLIC LEEK.

Crushin' some garlic the old-fashioned way.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and cook the chicken in two batches over high heat for 3-4 minutes each batch, until lightly browned but not cooked all the way through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Melt the butter in the same pan and cook the leek and garlic over low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the wine and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until nearly all the wine has evaporated. 

We used canned mushrooms because Walmart, being awesome, was totally out of fresh ones. They worked just fine.

Sprinkle the flour over the top, stir for 1 minute, then add the stock and cream. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season to taste, remove from the heat and cool. Stir in the parsley and sage.

Leave the rosemary and thyme to Simon & Garfunkel.

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F/Gas 6). To make individual pot pies, divide the mixture among four 315 ml (1 ¼ cup) ramekins. Cut four 12 cm (5 inch) rounds from the pastry, brush the ramekin rims with a little beaten egg, then place the pastry lids on top. Press the rims down firmly to seal. Cut out the pastry scraps and decorate the tops if you wish, brush with egg and cut three steam holes in each pie with a sharp knife. Bake on the bottom shelf for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden.

To make one large pie, place the mixture in a shallow 23 cm (9 inch) pie dish, roll the two sheets of pastry together and place over the mixture. 

My partner, being very experienced with pot pies, graciously helped put the crust on. (As you can tell, we went with a full-size pie.)

Seal the edges with a fork. Make several small steam holes in the pastry with a sharp knife. Brush with beaten egg and bake in a 180C (350F/Gas 4) oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden. 

I should have brushed the egg over the edges as well as the pie proper. It would have stopped them from trying to still be puff pastry even though they were on a pie. 

It doesn't look like pie anymore once you get it in the bowl, but you know what it looks like instead? DELICIOUS.

My Rating: 5/5 "Just fantastic. Even Matt, who is a total pot pie snob, was impressed with this. The flavors are delicate and complimentary (and of course I'm a sucker for anything involving cream). The crust is moist and flaky. The chicken is so, so tender. All-around win."