Large Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Pie

Our answer

Nigella's Chicken, Mushroom And Bacon Pie (from Nigella Express and on the Nigella website) is a speedy version of chicken pie made with strips of chicken breast. It is possible to increase the quantities, and make the filling in advance, but you may want to change the method slightly.

For 16 portions you can use 8 times the original filling ingredients, however we would not cook the ingredients all together in one go. Start by cooking the chicken strips. Do not toss them in the flour, just heat the oil in a large pan and cook the chicken strips very quickly until sealed on the outside (you do not need to cook them through at this stage). Don't overcrowd the pan either as the chicken will just steam, you may need to cook the chicken in batches. Transfer the sealed chicken to a plate. Cook the bacon and mushrooms together, then stir in the tyme and flour and cook, for a few seconds. Add the marsala, then add the stock a little at a time, stirring all of the time to make sure that the sauce is not lumpy. Add the chicken, plus any juices from the plate, then just bring the mixture up to a simmer and bubble gently until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (this may take slightly longer than 5 minutes for larger quantities). If you are making the dish in advance then don't add the chicken after the stock, just bring the bacon, mushroon and stock mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened. Take off the heat and let it cool slightly before adding the chicken. Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 2 days. To reheat, put the mixture into a large saucepan or cast iron casserole and put over a low heat then bring the mixture up to the boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer for a couple of minutes to make sure that the chicken is cooked through and then serve.

For the separate pastry tops (in this case they would probably be called "croutons") cut out large circles from the pastry and put them on baking sheets. prick the circles all over with a fork and paint with beaten egg. Bake at 220c/425F for 15 to 20 minutes, until risen and golden.