Chicken and Asparagus Pot Pie

A recipe by Sarah Cooks

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped into small cubes

1 stick of celery, chopped into small cubes

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 cup sliced mushrooms

500 grams chicken breast, cut into small cubes

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off and the remainder cut into 2cm lengths

1 cup frozen peas

2 handfuls baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons milk or cream

1 egg

1 sheet shortcrust or puff pastry (1/2 a sheet of Carême brand sour cream shortcrust, or a single sheet of Pampas or other supermarket brand)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery, as well as some salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the mushrooms and cook until they have cooked down and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the chicken pieces, turn the heat up and cook until they have lost all pink colour.

Stir in the asparagus pieces, peas and baby spinach leaves, followed by the flour. Stir the flour in so it's combined evenly with the liquid in the pan, and cook for a few minutes to remove any raw taste.

Add in the stock, tarragon and thyme. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the liquid is thickened and the chicken pieces are cooked through. (Approx. 5-10 minutes).

Stir through the milk or cream and turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tip the hot mixture into a pie dish (mine is a 24x16x9cm oblong enamel dish), or into individual ramekins for the echt Pot Pie experience. 

Brush the rim(s) of the pie dish(es) with beaten egg, and cover with pastry, pressing along the edges to seal and trimming off any excess. Brush the tops with beaten egg, cut a few slits for air venting purposes, and put straight into the oven. (If the filling is hot, the pastry will start to melt so you'll need to move quickly).  If you want to assemble the pie in advance - let the filling cool completely before topping with the pastry, and keep it in the fridge until you want to bake it.

Bake the assembled pies for 30-45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is piping hot.

Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 1 large or 4 small pies, feeds 4