Winter has arrived. Warm up your insides in the cooler months with this hearty treat thanks to Maggie Beer

Country Chicken and Mushroom Pies

Ingredients

PIE FILLING

• 6 free range chicken thighs with drumstick attached (Maryland)
• Seasalt
• black pepper
• 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 450ml Maggie Beer Chicken Stock
• 50g unsalted butter softened
• 7 large mushrooms chopped
• 1 cup unbleached plain flour
• 200ml cream
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
• 2 tbsp oregano chopped
• 2 tbsp thyme chopped

• 125ml sour cream
• 250g plain flour
• 200g unsalted butterchilled

Method

PIE FILLING

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Season the Chicken Thighs with sea salt and pepper.
3. Butter a 24 centimetres x 18 centimetres baking dish. Place the seasoned chicken marylands into the baking dish, drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and put into the oven to roast for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes, loosely covered with foil.
5. Meanwhile, heat the Chicken Stock over a medium high heat in a small pot.
6. Place a large saucepan over a high heat, add the butter and once this has turned nut brown, add a dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to inhibit burning. Add the mushrooms and fry for 4 to 5 minutes.
7. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook for a further couple of minutes.
8. Gradually stir in the hot stock, then the cream. Simmer gently until the mixture has thickened.
9. Remove the meat from the marylands and chop in to 1 centimetre pieces, then fold through with the herbs into the mushroom mixture. Season to taste.
10. Refrigerate until chilled.
11. Make the pastry (see instructions below) and once chilled, roll to 3 millimetre thick and cut to line greased pie dishes, leaving a lip over the edge.
12. Cut out six smaller rounds - these are the pie lids.
13. Fill the cases with the chilled chicken mixture. Egg wash the pastry lip and seal the lids in place. Trim the pastry and score the top of each pie. Egg wash the tops of the pies and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
14. Increase the oven temperature to 220C.
15. Place the pies onto a flat baking tray then place the pies into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 180C and bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes until golden brown.
16. Remove from the oven and serve

PASTRY

1. To make the pastry, dice the butter, then pulse with the flour in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the sour cream and continue to pulse until the dough starts to incorporate into a ball.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. Roll the chilled pastry out until 3 mm thick and cut to suit your chosen recipe.

ENJOY