Creamy chicken and mushroom pie

30th July 2020 | Eativity editors

There are some foods that are just made for each other. Cheese and tomato, apple and cinnamon, bacon and eggs, fish and chips, rhubarb and custard. Then there’s chicken and mushroom. Both have more subtle flavours than some, it’s true, but the earthy umami of hearty mushroom marries beautifully with the succulence of good quality, free-range chicken. Here we bring this tasty twosome together in a super-simple creamy chicken and mushroom pie that will make any winter evening worthwhile.

Even better, new research has uncovered just how good mushrooms are for you. From improving gut health and immunity to reducing inflammation, the humble ’shroom is a nutritional superstar. It’s well worth adding to any meal. So whip up this chicken and mushroom pie tonight, exult in the flavours and know that it’s doing your body good.

Creamy chicken and mushroom pie

Creamy chicken and mushroom pie

Serves: 4-6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes

You’ll need:

1 tbsp olive oil
500g free-range chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cut into 3cm cubes
2 punnets Swiss brown mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, thickly sliced
50g butter
¼ cup plain flour
1½ tsp mixed spice
2 cups milk
1 cup frozen peas
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper, to season

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In batches, cook the chicken for 5 minutes, turning, until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the mushrooms, cook for 4 minutes or until golden, tossing the pan frequently, then remove and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the pan, then stir in the flour and mixed spice. Cook for 1 minute before gradually whisking in the milk until thickened slightly. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.

3. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Remove the pastry sheets from the fridge and cut each sheet in half and place one on top of the other. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry out to a 4mm-thick rectangle that fits the size of a rectangular 1.5-2L baking dish.

4. Stir the frozen peas through the pie filling to combine, then transfer to the baking dish. Place the pastry over the top to cover, pressing down on the edges with a fork to seal in the filling. Make a small cross-incision in the centre of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Brush the egg yolk over the surface of the pie, then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Australian Mushrooms.