What We're Eating : Chicken and Mushroom Pie

This comforting, creamy chicken and mushroom pie uses a ready-made pastry to make it a quick and easy mid-week meal.

Add your choice of potatoes and vegetables to accompany the meal perfectly.

This recipe takes just over 1 hour to prepare and cook and will serve 3-4 people. So let's get started.......

Ingredients.

• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 3 Chicken Breasts (sliced into pieces)
• 150g of Button Mushrooms (quartered)
• 1 Small Onion (chopped)
• 1 Garlic Clove (finely chopped)
• 50g of Butter
• 2 Tablespoons of Plain Flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 300ml of Milk
• 200ml of Chicken Stock
• Freshly Grated Nutmeg (to taste)
• Ground White Pepper
• Pinch of Salt
• Small Handful of Fresh Parsley (chopped)
• 500g Read-made Short-crust Pastry
• 1 Free-range Egg (beaten)

Preperation Method.

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and fry until the chicken begins to turn white.
3. Add the mushrooms and continue to fry until the chicken is golden brown.
4. Remove the chicken and mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until softened.
5. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly until it has formed a thick smooth paste (this is called a roux).
6. Mix the milk and stock together in a jug, then add the nutmeg, white pepper and salt to taste. Pour the liquid slowly into the flour mixture, whisking all the time until smooth. Simmer over a gentle heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
7. Stir in the chopped parsley and pour the sauce over the chicken and mushroom mixture. Mix well, then spoon into a pie dish and leave until completely cool.
8. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is the thickness of a pound coin. Brush the edges of the dish with the beaten egg mixture, lay the pastry on top, press down the edges and trim. Brush the top of the pie with the egg mixture and cut some leaf shapes from the left over pastry to decorate the top of the pie.
9. Make 2-3 slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
10. Whilst in the oven you can prepare your sides (potaoes, vegetables etc). Remove from the oven when ready and check the filling is piping hot.
11. Serve and Enjoy!

Courtesy of BBC Food and Sanjeev Bhaskar