Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 Sheet Shortcrust Pastry
• 1 Sheet Puff Pastry
• 500g Diced Chicken Breast
• 250g Diced/Shredded Bacon
• 250g Diced Button Mushrooms
• 2 Diced Garlic Cloves
• 1 Medium Brown Onion
• 2 tsp Chicken Stock Powder
• 2 tsp Roast Chicken Gravy Powder
• 2 tsp Mixed Dried Herbs (Thyme, Tarragon, Basil, Oregano, Marjoram)
• 1/2 cup Medium Dry White Wine
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 20 mLs Milk
• 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease pie dish, then line with defrosted shortcrust pastry sheet. Trim sheet and arrange so that pie dish is fully covered.
2. In a large saucepan/frying pan, heat the white wine. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic and cook until the onions and garlic begins to go clear and the mushrooms tender.
3. In a bowl, combine the stock powder, gravy powder, salt, pepper, and mixed herbs. Add the diced chicken breast and bacon, ensuring that each piece is coated. Add the chicken and bacon mixture to the wine, mushrooms, garlic and onion, and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning the meat often so that it cooks evenly.
4. Pour the entire contents of the saucepan/frying pan into the prepared pie base, then cover with a sheet of defrosted puff pastry. Trim the edges and press down with a fork to make a seal, and vent the pie crust. Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle sesame seeds on the top (you can also add any spare bits of puff pastry to the centre of the pie crust before adding the sesame seeds).
5. Place pie in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and serve immediately.
6. This pie freezes very well, and can also be reheated.

Notes

I use this recipe base to also make a delicious steak and kidney pie. Simply substitute all of the chicken (stock, gravy and meat) for beef, the white wine for red, the sesame seeds for poppy seeds, and adding about 250g of diced kidneys. As a steak and kidney pie you can keep the bacon and mushrooms if you wish, or omit them