Chicken pie tomake ahead

Arlene from Carrickfergus cookery school, Carrick YMCA cooked this super tasty chicken pie for friends last week. It is a great ‘make ahead’ recipe, ideal when you don’t want any last minute fuss in the kitchen. I like to serve it up with turnip or carrots and mashed potato.

Chicken leek and mushroom pie

Serves 4

3 large chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks

1 medium leek, sliced

2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cut into small strips

6 chestnut mushrooms, quartered

Sprig of thyme, leaves picked

1⁄4 pint fresh chicken stock

1 tbsp corn flour

2 tbsps low fat Greek yoghurt/ crème fraîche

Salt and pepper to season

Drizzle of olive oil

250g puff pastry

Filling:

1. Fry the chicken with the bacon in a little drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat until starting to brown and then add the leek, mushrooms and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the cornf lour with a little water until all of the corn flour has dissolved, then add this to the chicken mixture in the pan

3. Once the sauce has begun to thicken, take off the heat and add the Greek yoghurt/crème fraîche

4. Place the filling into a pie dish.

Pastry Lid:

Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the pastry approximately 0.5cm thick then lay the pastry over the pie filling, crimp the edges with your fingers and thumb or a fork and cut off any excess pastry.

Poke a small hole in the centre of the lid to let the steam escape.

Brush the pastry with a beaten egg mixed with a splash of milk and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200c for approximately 25 mins, or until pastry is golden

Cooks’ tip: Use a combination of chicken breast and thigh meat.