Chicken, wild mushroom and shallot pie with crushed carrot and parsnips

Thu, 16 January 2025

• Pie mix
• 400g ready-roll short crust 
• 600g diced chicken, a mix of breast and thighs
• 6 shallots peeled and quartered
• 250 chopped wild mushrooms
• 2 table spoons dark soy sauce    
• 30g butter
• 30g plain flour
• 200mls chicken stock
• 200mls cream
• 2 table spoons chopped tarragon
• 1 free range egg beaten
• Carrot and parsnip crush
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 parsnips peeled and chopped
• 50g knob butter
• 10mls maple syrup
• 10mls sherry vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
2. Place a medium sized pot on a medium heat and add butter, sauté the mushrooms on a high heat for 5 minutes until golden, add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes
3. Now add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, add chicken stock and cream, bring to a simmer and cooked for 4 minutes, add the chopped tarragon, soy sauce and check the seasoning for salt and pepper  
4. Turn off the heat, add the chopped chicken
5. Pour the mix in an oven safe pie or casserole dish and allow to cool
6. Crack the egg in a bowl and beat for brushing the pastry
7. Now take the rolled out pastry and place top of the dish using a little of the egg wash to seal
8. Brush the top of the pasty with some egg wash and season the top of pastry with sea salt
9. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 for 40 minutes until golden brown and piping hot
10. To make the carrots and parsnip crush, peel and cut the carrots and parsnips, cook them in boiling salted water until tender.
11. Stain off the water and add vegetables back to a pot and crush with a potato masher
12. To season add the butter, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar and maple syrup