Traditional Chicken and Mushroom Pie – Celebrating British comfort food at its very best!
The first time I set a foot inside one of the many pubs in London, I was very surprised by the amount of pies listed on the menu. Savory pies are serious business in Britain, and one of the oldest traditional English dishes, dating as far back as to the Middle ages.
Traditional fillings for hot pies include chicken & mushroom, steak & ale, minced beef & onion, lamb, or meat & potato. Different types of pastry are used, including short crust and puff, and it’s really hard to tell which ones are the best. Another type of pie is topped with mashed potato instead of pastry, the traditional Shepherd’s Pie is a must-try around British pubs.
This Mini Chicken & Mushroom Pie is my tasty way to celebrate British Pie Week. This is the very first pie I have tasted in London, and still my favorite after almost a decade. The chunky pieces of chicken are tender and flavorful, the creamy filling is rich and perfectly complimented by nutty mushrooms and crispy leeks. It’s hard to resist something like that. In one of those too-many rainy days in the city, a chicken and mushroom pie is the treat that makes you the weather bearable, even okay.
This recipe is ideal to make on the weekend, it’s the perfect comfort food for a Sunday dinner or a picnic, for brunch/lunch/snack… anytime really.
The short crust pastry is easy to make and requires only 4 simple ingredients: flour, butter, cold water and salt. It’s completely no-fuss and it really makes a fantastic upgrade to the pie. Once you start making your own pastry, you’ll discover a whole new world of flavors, and endless uses both for savory and sweet recipes.
These mini Chicken and Mushroom pies make a fantastic happy hour snack or a traditional appetizer for an all-English dinner menu. They’re so good you’ll want to make them again and again!
I hope you give these cute pies a try. If you do, please let me know how you liked, write a comment or stop by on my Facebook page. Don’t forget to get a snap of your recipe and tag it #thepetitecook on Instagram! Looking at your delicious food always makes me smile!
Traditional British Mini Chicken & Mushroom Pie
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry:
- 400 gr/ 14oz all purpose flour
- 200 gr/ 7oz cold butter cut into chunks
- a pinch of salt
- 120 ml/ 3fl oz very cold water
For the filling:
- 400 gr/14oz chicken breast cut into small cubes
- 300 gr/10oz chestnut mushrooms sliced
- 2 leeks finely sliced
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 glass dry white wine
- 100 ml/3.5fl oz fresh double cream
- 3 tbsp Extravirgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 egg + 2 tbsp water whisked together for brushing
Instructions
For the shortcrust pastry:
- In a blender, put together flour,butter, and a pinch of salt and pulse until the mixture is sandy-looking.
- Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Knead quickly while gently pouring cold water in, until the dough is compact, firm and elastic enough.
- Shape the dough into a rectangular, and wrap in plastic film. Let refrigerate for at least 40 min.
- In the meantime, prepare the creamy filling.
- In a very large skillet heat the olive oil, add the sliced leeks and stir-fry for about 5 min, or until crisp.
- Add the chicken, searing well the meat on all sides; Finally, add the mushrooms. Pour the white wine in and season with salt and pepper. Allow the alcohol to evaporate, then pour 1/3 cup of chicken stock in, and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
- In a saucepan melt the butter and add the flour, stirring with a whisk.
- Pour in the remaining chicken stock, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Thicken the cream over low heat and then add it to the chicken.
- Add fresh thyme leaves and double cream, cook over low heat for about 5 min,until the filling has thicken enough.
- Roll out pastry into 1/3 inch high sheet. Cut out 16 10cm circles and use half to line 8 non-stick tart tins. Reserve the remaining pastry to top the pies.
- Pour 2-3 generous tbsp of chicken&mushroom mixture into the center of each pie, forming a mound.
- Cover each pie with a spare pastry circle, pressing the edges gently to firmly adhere and prevent from leaking.
- Brush the pies with the egg and water mixture and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- Bake in a preheated oven to 190 ° C for about 50 minutes, until the pies are golden on top. Allow to rest 10 min outside the oven before serving and enjoy!