Hairy Bikers' chicken and mushroom pie recipe

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

Method

1. 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.
2. Meanwhile make the filling.
3. Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until evenly browned, about 5 minutes.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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. 

The Hairy Bikers' Perfect Pies: The Ultimate Pie Bible from the Kings of Pies by Si King and Dave Myers (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £20) - View at Amazon

Once you’ve made this recipe, we recommend trying one of Si and Dave’s sweet options. The cherry pie and apple pie look divine!

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.