Creamy, Chicken, Ham, & Mushroom pies
How to make delicious, Creamy, Chicken ham, and mushroom pies, easy step by step instructions, from start to finish.
Ingredients
Method
- The filling:
- 400g / 14oz Chicken breast or Thighs (Diced small)
- 70g / 2½oz Cooked Ham pieces
- 3 large Chestnut Mushrooms
- 200mls Chicken stock
- 30g / 1oz Plain or all-purpose flour
- 30g / 1oz Butter (unsalted)
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- 1tbls Cider or White wine Vinegar
- 120mls Double cream
- ½tsp Salt
- ½tsp White pepper
- ½tsp Black pepper
- ½tsp Dried Thyme
- Small Bunch of Parsley (Chopped)
- 1 Large egg, and a dash of milk, for the egg wash
- The hot water crust Pastry:
- 400g / 14oz Plain or all-purpose flour
- 170g / 170mls Water
- 90g / 3¼oz Butter
- 100g / 3½oz Lard or solid vegetable fat
- 8g / 1tsp Salt
- Making the hot water crust pastry:
- Mix the salt and flour together
- Place the water on a low heat, add the butter and lard to the pan, bring to a simmer.
- Soon as the fats have melted, pour the hot liquid onto the flour in the bowl, and bring it all together.
- Tip the contents of the bowl out onto a non floured surface.
- Gently knead the dough until it all comes together.
- Cut the pastry onto 2 equal pieces.
- Cover in plastic wrap or food bags, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.
- Making the Pie Filling:
- Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan, on a low to medium heat.
- Add your diced chicken pieces, stir-fry until they turn white and firm up.
- Add the salt, black and white pepper, and dried thyme, mix those in.
- Add the garlic, followed by the mushrooms, and mix those in.
- Stir in the flour and the vinegar, and thoroughly mix.
- Stir in the flour and the vinegar, and thoroughly mix.
- Pour in the chicken stock, followed by the cream, and bring to a simmer, your sauce should now be starting to thicken.
- Add the ham pieces, and the parsley, stir in, and bring it back to a low slow boil, soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat, clean down the sides of the pan, cover with the lid, and allow to completely cool and set, before using it, this filling can be made well in advance, even the day before.
- Grease 6 small non-stick pie tins, the dimensions of the tins I use, are 10 x 2.5cm, that’s 4 x 1in.
- Roll out your pastry to approx, 3mm / 1/8in,thick, and cut out 6, 12.5cm / 5in circles for the bases, and 6, 10cm / 4in circles for the lids of the pies.
- Place the pastry bases in the pie tins, using a small piece of waste pastry, gently press the pastry right down into the corners, make sure to leave some pastry sticking over the rim of the pie tin.
- Add the now cold chicken filling to each of the pastry cases, level with the top of the pie tin, the filling does expand some in the oven, so do not over fill.
- At this point, preheat your oven to, 170°C / 340°F / Gas mark 3.
- Brush egg wash all around the edge of the pastry in the tin, and some around the edge of the pie lid.
- Place the lids on the top of the pie bases, and gently press it down, using your thumb and forefingers crimp the 2 pastries together, try not to get egg wash between the pastry, and the tin, as this will stick when baking.
- Place all 6 pies on a baking tray.
- Cut 2 vent slits in the top of each pie.
- Give each pie a good coat of the egg wash.
- Place the tray on the lowest part of the preheated oven, and use the bottom element in your oven if you have one, if you don’t have separate elements in your oven, bake these in the middle of the oven.
- Now set your timer for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and place the 6 tins on a wire rack, allow them to settle for 5 minutes.
- While they are still hot, carefully remove each pie from their tin, serve piping hot with mashed potatoes or chips/fries, sweet peas, and a thin chicken gravy.
- They can also be served cold on picnics and buffets.
- Enjoy.
Equipment & products used in my kitchen and videos
