Name: Hairy Bikers' chicken and mushroom pie recipe
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: Serves: 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 450g/1lb plain flour; 2tsp baking powder; ½ tsp salt; 120g/4.5oz unsalted butter; 1 egg yolk; about 120ml/ 4floz ice cold water

By Hairy Bikers

last updated 21 September 2023

Contributions from

Jessica Ransom

The Hairy Biker’s chicken and mushroom pie is an indulgent recipe at 752 calories per portion but it’s worth every bite!

Joe Wicks chicken pie is perfect for when you’re craving pie but want to keep the calories down. However, when you’re looking to indulge this recipe is hard to beat. The Hairy Bikers are known as the kings of pies for a reason and this recipe proves why. We love the combination of chicken breast and thigh and the simple, butter pastry. Of course if you’re short on time you could use shop-bought shortcrust pastry.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

450g/1lb plain flour
2tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
120g/4.5oz unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
about 120ml/ 4floz ice cold water

For the filling:

4 tbsp olive oil
2 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 400g/14oz), cut into chunks
500g/1lb 2oz skinned and boned chicken thighs, cut into chunks
100ml/31/2 (half) floz dry white wine
100ml/31/2 (half) floz water
2 tsp fresh chopped Tarragon
2tsp fresh chopped Thyme
200g/7oz fresh wild mushrooms, such as ceps, chanterelles, chestnut, coarsely chopped
50ml/2floz sour cream
1 egg, beaten for glazing and sealing

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Method

Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a food processor, then add the unsalted butter and the egg yolk and pulse to form the texture of breadcrumbs. Gradually add the water a tablespoonful at a time until a ball of pastry forms. You might not need all the water. Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for an hour.
Meanwhile make the filling.
Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until evenly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine, water, tarragon and thyme, season well and poach for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half and the chicken is cooked through. In a separate frying pan add the remaining olive oil and coarsely chopped mushrooms, season and sauté for 5 minutes.
Put the cooked chicken in a bowl along with 2tbsp of their cooking liquor, add the mushrooms then stir in the sour cream,this is the filling. Now set aside to cool.
Heat oven to 200C (180C fan, Gas 6). Grease a deep 20cm pie tin with butter and dust with flour to coat the sides and base, shaking out any excess
Take two thirds of the pastry and roll out. Use to line your tin. Prick with a fork, cover with baking parchment and fill the pastry case with baking beans. Bake blind for about 10 - 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and take out the parchment and beads, leave to cool. If the base is still a bit soggy, return the naked pastry case to the oven for a couple of minutes to dry out.
Time to build your pie! Fill the pastry case with the filling (this must be a well-packed pie). Take the remaining pastry and roll out the lid. Brush the rim of the cooked case with the beaten egg then top with the pastry lid. Press down the edge gently to seal and trim off the excess.
Use a knife to make 2 holes in the top to let out the steam during cooking. Brush liberally with beaten egg and bake in the oven for about 30 -35 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Top tips for making the Hairy Bikers chicken and mushroom pie

Si and Dave say: ‘No wild mushrooms? No problem. Use chestnut or button mushrooms instead. If you want a bit of extra flavour, rehydrate from dried wild mushrooms.’ For more tips and tricks for pie making, continue reading below.

What is the best way to line a pie case with pastry?

Si and Dave recommend rolling your pastry until it’s approximately twice as wide as the diameter of your tin. Then, using your rolling pin, roll the pastry up and unravel over the tin. You should be able to gently move it into place and press into the corners of the tin. Then trim the excess with a sharp knife or even some scissors.

What can I use instead of baking beans?

If you don’t have ceramic baking beans, dried rice or pulses are a good substitute. Once baked, store in a jar or container and reuse for all your pastry blind baking!

Is chicken breast or thigh best for pie?

The Hairy Bikers like to use a combination of chicken thigh and breast for the best balance of flavour and texture. You can certainly only use thighs if you want a more economical choice or if you prefer the texture of breast you can use that on its own too. The only downside to using chicken breast on it’s own is it has a tendency to become dry if overcooked.

Try the Hairy Bikers chicken pie next or our chicken and mushroom pie is another hearty option. You might also like this Hairy Bikers steak and ale pie which has a deep, rich sauce and is perfect paired with mashed potatoes and a cold pint of ale.

Explore More

Hairy Bakers

Simon King and David Myers are the fantastic duo that make up the Hairy Bikers and are best known as Si and Dave. The Hairy Bikers have several cookbooks published including How to Love Food and Lose Weight and Eat for Life. Hairy Biker recipes are always triple tested and try to be as fuss-free as possible so you can trust the timings. Si and Dave have also had several hit cooking shows as they remain as one of the UK’s favourite cookery duos.

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