CHICKEN, TARRAGON AND MUSHROOM PIE

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

30g butter

4 skinless chicken fillets, diced

1 leek, finely sliced

280g button mushrooms, quartered

1 tablespoon flour

250ml milk

100ml single cream

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves

500g pack of puff pastry (use butter puff or brush ordinary puff with a little butter)

1 egg, beaten

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

2. Set a large saucepan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the chicken, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the leek and cook for a further minute.

3. Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour, stir and cook for another minute, then pour in the milk and cream and cook until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chopped tarragon.

4. Roll out the pastry and cut it into four pieces big enough to cover four small pie dishes. Spoon the chicken mixture into the four individual pie dishes and brush the rims with beaten egg.
5. Lift the pastry on to the pies, trimming off any excess. Press down and crimp the edges with a fork. Cut a couple of slits in the pastry to let the steam out and brush all over with the rest of the beaten egg.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15–20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown