Chicken, Mushroom and Bacon Pie
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA EXPRESSIntroduction
Even the word pie is comforting. But then, it would be hard to deny the very real lure of pastry, especially when, as here, you know you're going to dunk it in gravied juices till its luscious lightness has become deliciously, soggily heavy. I concede, however, that making and rolling out your own pastry is not necessarily the speediest option, so I use bought, all-butter ready-rolled puff pastry and feel fine about it. And if you don't have the garlic oil that I suggest cooking the bacon in (and I know a teaspoon doesn't sound like much, but the streaky bacon should yield enough of its own glorious fat) simply use a teaspoon of olive (not extra virgin) oil and then mince in a small clove of garlic when the mushrooms are all but cooked.
I make the pie even easier, by browning the chicken and making the sauce all in one go. And gold-crusted, welcoming pies for two people in half an hour is not bad going.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Even the word pie is comforting. But then, it would be hard to deny the very real lure of pastry, especially when, as here, you know you're going to dunk it in gravied juices till its luscious lightness has become deliciously, soggily heavy. I concede, however, that making and rolling out your own pastry is not necessarily the speediest option, so I use bought, all-butter ready-rolled puff pastry and feel fine about it. And if you don't have the garlic oil that I suggest cooking the bacon in (and I know a teaspoon doesn't sound like much, but the streaky bacon should yield enough of its own glorious fat) simply use a teaspoon of olive (not extra virgin) oil and then mince in a small clove of garlic when the mushrooms are all but cooked.
I make the pie even easier, by browning the chicken and making the sauce all in one go. And gold-crusted, welcoming pies for two people in half an hour is not bad going.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 2
- 3 rashers streaky bacon (cut or scissored into 2.5cm / 1 inch strips)
- 1 teaspoon garlic infused olive oil (see Intro)
- 125 grams chestnut mushrooms (sliced into 5mm/eighth inch pieces)
- 250 grams chicken thigh fillets (cut into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces)
- 25 grams plain flour
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 300 millilitres hot chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon marsala
- 375 grams all-butter ready-rolled puff pastry sheet (23 x 40cm / 9 1/2 x 9½ inch)
- 3 rashers bacon (cut or scissored into 2.5cm / 1 inch strips)
- 1 teaspoon garlic flavored oil (see Intro)
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms (sliced into 5mm/eighth inch pieces)
- 8 ounces chicken thigh fillets (cut into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces)
- 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1¼ cups hot chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon marsala
- 8½ ounces all-butter ready-rolled puff pastry sheet (23 x 40cm / 9 1/2 x 9½ inch)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/gas mark 7/425ºF. In a heavy-based frying pan, fry the streaky bacon strips in the oil until beginning to crisp, then add the sliced mushrooms and soften them in the pan with the streaky bacon.
- Turn the chicken strips in the flour and thyme (you could toss them about in a freezer bag), and then melt the butter in the streaky bacon-and-mushroom pan before adding the floury chicken and all the flour left in the bag. Stir around with the streaky bacon and mushrooms until the chicken begins to colour.
- Pour in the hot stock and Marsala, stirring to form a sauce, and let this bubble away for about 5 minutes.
- Take two 300ml / 1¼ cup pie-pots (if yours are deeper, don't worry, there will simply be more space between contents and puff pastry top) and make a pastry rim for each one — by this I mean an approx. 1cm / ½ inch strip curled around the top of each pot. Dampen the edges with a little water to make the pastry stick.
- Cut a circle bigger than the top of each pie-pot for the lid, and then divide the chicken filling between the two pots.
- Dampen the rim of the pastry again and then pop on the lid of each pie, sealing the edges with your fingers or the underneath of the prongs of a fork.
- Cook the pies for about 20 minutes turning them around halfway through cooking. Once cooked, they should have puffed up magnificently.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/gas mark 7/425ºF. In a heavy-based frying pan, fry the bacon strips in the oil until beginning to crisp, then add the sliced mushrooms and soften them in the pan with the bacon.
- Turn the chicken strips in the flour and thyme (you could toss them about in a freezer bag), and then melt the butter in the bacon-and-mushroom pan before adding the floury chicken and all the flour left in the bag. Stir around with the bacon and mushrooms until the chicken begins to colour.
- Pour in the hot stock and Marsala, stirring to form a sauce, and let this bubble away for about 5 minutes.
- Take two 300ml / 1¼ cup pie-pots (if yours are deeper, don't worry, there will simply be more space between contents and puff pastry top) and make a pastry rim for each one — by this I mean an approx. 1cm / ½ inch strip curled around the top of each pot. Dampen the edges with a little water to make the pastry stick.
- Cut a circle bigger than the top of each pie-pot for the lid, and then divide the chicken filling between the two pots.
- Dampen the rim of the pastry again and then pop on the lid of each pie, sealing the edges with your fingers or the underneath of the prongs of a fork.
- Cook the pies for about 20 minutes turning them around halfway through cooking. Once cooked, they should have puffed up magnificently.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The pie filling can be made up to 3 days ahead. Make to the end of step 3 then cool and refrigerate as quickly as possible, and within 2 hours of cooking. Allow an extra 10 minutes of baking time and if necessary turn the oven down to 200°C/180°C fan/350°F after the first 20 minutes of baking if the pastry is becoming too dark. Check that the filling is piping hot before serving. The filling can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as above.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The pie filling can be made up to 3 days ahead. Make to the end of step 3 then cool and refrigerate as quickly as possible, and within 2 hours of cooking. Allow an extra 10 minutes of baking time and if necessary turn the oven down to 200°C/180°C fan/350°F after the first 20 minutes of baking if the pastry is becoming too dark. Check that the filling is piping hot before serving. The filling can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as above.
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Show more commentsAbsolutely splendid recipe; delicious, and like all the best recipes, looks a good deal more impressive when served than the crazily easily preparation would suggest. I merged recipes and used Nigella's puff pastry - also a doddle - which does add a certain je ne sais quoi when you nonchalantly mention you made the pastry too. As always, a guaranteed crowd pleaser, well suited to those of us who start cooking about an hour later than we strictly should with guests arriving at a set time.
One of the favourites here, eaten with lots of extra puff pastry to dip...yumm!
I love this recipe. I’ve made it with and without the bacon, depending on what I have at the time. I add peas and carrots and top with potato slices or mashed potatoes, just depending on how I feel at the time. Definitely a family favourite!!!
I make this quite frequently now as it's so good and tasty. However what I do is make a single pie. So I up the chicken to approx. 500gr of chicken thighs and 200gr brown mushrooms. Cook this as per Nigella's instructions. I line a 20cm pie dish with a sheet of puff pastry, put in the chicken and mushroom filling then top with another sheet of puff pastry. I find this will feed 4 hungry people easily.
Made this last night, added some peas and carrots, and omitted the bacon... delicious
Love it! Its perfect for an easy supper. And I like the mushrooms with the chicken and the creamy stock.
These are gorgeous. I don't have any proper soup pots, but now I have an excuse to get them!
I made this lovely pie but did it like a traditional pie with pastry on the bottom and top in a large round pirex dish it was absolutely gorgeous. Cooked it for my family everyone really enjoyed it. Thanx nigella, used a few of your recipes now, all brilliant xx
I can't wait to try this recipe. Nigella's recipes are an easy way to get back into cooking after leaving it for so long!
Love this recipe! Cooked it for my partner who only loves his mums food! But he is in love with this chicken pie! Thanks Nigella!
An easy recipe with a delicious flavour. Will certainly make these regularly from now on. Wilson
My kids aren't keen on mushrooms so I substituted diced carrots instead and it was gorgeous. A real winner and very easy.