Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Pre heat oven to 140 degrees. In a medium saucepan with a tightfitting lid that is oven proof, add your chicken (remember to remove the offal bag from inside the chicken) dried mushrooms, peppercorns, leek, garlic and onion. Now cover with the hot stock, bring up to the boil. Cover with lid and place in the oven for one hour and a half. When the meat comes away from the legs easily, it is ready. Leave to cool in the liquor.

In a thick-based saucepan add half of your butter and add half of your mushrooms when the butter is foaming. Get a nice colour on the mushrooms and season them well. Drain in a colander and reserve all the butter and juices. Repeat with the rest of mushrooms & butter. 

Coat your pie dish (The one I use is approximately 10 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches deep nonstick) with butter and place a couple of strips of baking paper into a cross into the pie dish (this makes it easier to remove your pie) . Roll out your puff pastry to the thickness of a one-pound coin and cut in half. Now place your pastry into your pie dish ensuring that the pastry fills the dish. Use a small amount of pastry to push your pastry into the edge of the base. Using a sharp knife, trim pastry leaving a small over hang and fork the base. Now chill for 30 minutes. Chill remaining pastry for the lid 

Now carefully remove your chicken from the stock and place on a plate. Pass the stock through a fine sieve and into a saucepan to place on the heat to reduce by half. Remove all the skin from the chicken and then all the meat from the carcass keeping the meat as large as possible. Check there are no bones or gristle, season with salt and pepper and mix with mushrooms.

In the same pan that you used to cook the mushrooms, add the butter that you drained from the mushrooms and add flour and turn the heat to low and cook the mix for 10-15 minutes stirring. Now add half your reduced chicken stock slowly ladle by ladle until you have a thick smooth sauce. Add your mustard and taste for seasoning.  

Pour the sauce just over your chicken and mushrooms to coat, don’t add to much sauce or the pie will be too wet and not hold in the case. Place in the fridge to chill.

Add the rest of your stock to the sauce so you should have a nice pie sauce to go with the pie.

Take your pie mix and base from the fridge; fill the pie until you have a nice dome. Whisk your egg and your milk together to make an egg wash, Then brush the edges of your pie. Carefully place your remaining pastry over the top of the pie, make a small hole in the middle with a knife . Now trim the edges with a sharp knife, then go around the edges pushing the pastry together with a folk . Now egg wash the top of the pie, place into a preheated oven at 180 for 40 to 50 min. Lift your paper tabs to ensure your base is golden brown and well cooked. Serve with mash potatoes and peas and remaining pie sauce.