I am northern. Therefore, obviously, I love pie. No brainer, duh. But the other day I had a group of males round to my house – yes, males!! – and when pondering upon what to prepare for said real life males remembered this delicious recipe, taught to me I think by my mother. I believe the words she said to me on recounting this treasured family recipe to me were – Lucy, this pie is how you make men fall in love with you. Now, I can’t vouch for that and it was a bit of an awkward question to ask my work colleagues after dessert but…it certainly is a good, hearty and tasty pie. Not for the weak hearted.
Serve with something simple like blanched green beans or a salad.
Serve with something simple like blanched green beans or a salad.
Recipes
Ingredients (Serves about 6):
600g chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks
300g bacon, unsmoked, cut into strips
300g button mushrooms, sliced
3 onions, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch tarragon, chopped
Salt and pepper
500 g chicken stock
300ml dry vermouth
8 large floury potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Parmesan cheese, handful, grated
250g butter
250ml double cream
100ml milk
Method:
1. In a large metal based pie dish (if you don’t have one, use a big pot and then add the ingredients after cooking into a pie dish before topping with the potato. Use individual pie dishes too if you have them.) heat some oil and a knob of butter and over medium heat sauté the onion, about 5 minutes, until it is soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove and set to one side.
2. In the same pan sauté the chicken until lightly browned. Remove and set to one side. Repeat with both the mushrooms and with the bacon, making sure to get the bacon nice and crisp.
3. Put the vermouth in the pan and simmer, scraping the bits from the bottom until reduced to about half. Add the chicken stock, reduce again by half.
4. While this is going on, heat a big saucepan of water. Add salt. Chuck in the peeled potatoes and boil until the potatoes are cooked through. Drain the potatoes and shake about in the colander to dry them off and fluff up the edges. Leave to steam dry for about 4 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and the cream. Simmer on low for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cream has thickened up and the liquid is reduced – it should have reached a ‘coating consistency’ where if you dip a spoon in and wipe your finger across it, a clear line can be seen. Add the rest of the cooked veg/bacon. Add the chopped tarragon and season.
6. Mash the potatoes thoroughly with a masher, adding all of the rest of the butter. Pass the potato through a potato ricer if you have one to get it extra smooth. Add the milk and beat in. Season very well with salt and white pepper. Taste – it should be buttery and very smooth.
7. If you have a piping bag us this to pipe the mash on top of the pie mixture in attractive little spikes. If not, spoon it on top and using a fork scrape nice lines and dots into it. Scatter parmesan over the top and place under a hot grill for about 4 minutes to brown the top. Serve!!
Ingredients (Serves about 6):
600g chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks
300g bacon, unsmoked, cut into strips
300g button mushrooms, sliced
3 onions, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch tarragon, chopped
Salt and pepper
500 g chicken stock
300ml dry vermouth
8 large floury potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Parmesan cheese, handful, grated
250g butter
250ml double cream
100ml milk
Method:
1. In a large metal based pie dish (if you don’t have one, use a big pot and then add the ingredients after cooking into a pie dish before topping with the potato. Use individual pie dishes too if you have them.) heat some oil and a knob of butter and over medium heat sauté the onion, about 5 minutes, until it is soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove and set to one side.
2. In the same pan sauté the chicken until lightly browned. Remove and set to one side. Repeat with both the mushrooms and with the bacon, making sure to get the bacon nice and crisp.
3. Put the vermouth in the pan and simmer, scraping the bits from the bottom until reduced to about half. Add the chicken stock, reduce again by half.
4. While this is going on, heat a big saucepan of water. Add salt. Chuck in the peeled potatoes and boil until the potatoes are cooked through. Drain the potatoes and shake about in the colander to dry them off and fluff up the edges. Leave to steam dry for about 4 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and the cream. Simmer on low for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cream has thickened up and the liquid is reduced – it should have reached a ‘coating consistency’ where if you dip a spoon in and wipe your finger across it, a clear line can be seen. Add the rest of the cooked veg/bacon. Add the chopped tarragon and season.
6. Mash the potatoes thoroughly with a masher, adding all of the rest of the butter. Pass the potato through a potato ricer if you have one to get it extra smooth. Add the milk and beat in. Season very well with salt and white pepper. Taste – it should be buttery and very smooth.
7. If you have a piping bag us this to pipe the mash on top of the pie mixture in attractive little spikes. If not, spoon it on top and using a fork scrape nice lines and dots into it. Scatter parmesan over the top and place under a hot grill for about 4 minutes to brown the top. Serve!!
saute onions
bacon!
Yummy shrooms
chicken fried
time to reduce…
mmmm
In with herbs and the rest
topping on. looks like wiggly worms at the moment…
cheese; on and under the grill. delish.
