Comforting Chicken, Mushroom & Kale Pie

A comforting chicken and mushroom pie with crispy puff pastry, tender chicken pieces, and a creamy mushroom sauce enhanced with thyme and wholegrain mustard.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 400g of diced chicken fillets
• 250g of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 300g of fresh chicken stock
• 150g of creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
• 150g of fresh curly kale
• 2 teaspoons of cornflour, mixed with 1 tablespoon of cold water
• 375g of ready made puff pastry
• 1 medium egg yolk

Steps

1. Heat half a tablespoon of oil over a gentle heat in a flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softening. Scatter over the thyme and garlic, and stir for 1 minute.
2. Turn up the heat and add the chicken, frying until golden but not fully cooked through. Add the mushrooms and the rest of the oil. Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Celsius for fan ovens, gas mark 6).
3. Add the chicken stock, creme fraiche, mustard and kale, and season well. Add the cornflour mixture and stir until thickened a little.
4. Remove from the heat and cover with the puff pastry lid, pressing into the sides of the casserole dish. Slice a cross in the centre and glaze with the egg yolk. Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and golden in colour.