Special equipment:
7in (18cm) metal pie dish or cake pan

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2oz (50g) diced pancetta
2 leeks, about 7oz (200g), cut in 1⁄2in (1cm) slices
6oz (150g) button mushrooms, washed,
halved, or quartered if necessary
2 large chicken breasts, about 14oz (400g),
cut in 1in (2.5cm) chunks
1 heaping tbsp chopped thyme
1 heaping tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1⁄4 cups half-and-half
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
9oz (250g) ready-made all-butter puff pastry,
or see pages 370–371, steps 5–12, reducing
quantities by one-third
1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Method
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a pan, cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 5 minutes, until softened, but not brown.

2 Add the pancetta and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leeks and button mushrooms and cook for another 3–5 minutes until the pancetta is crispy.

3 Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and add the chicken and herbs. Cook over high heat for 3–4 minutes until colored on all sides.

4 Sprinkle the flour over the pie filling and stir it in well. Pour in the half-and-half, add the mustard and salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring. The mixture should thicken as it heats.

5 Continue to cook for 5 minutes over low heat until the liquid has reduced. Turn the filling out into the pie dish.

6 Roll out the pastry, cover the pie, and bake as directed for Fish Pie, see left, steps 3–4.

Chicken Pie Recipe