TRADITIONAL CHICKEN, LEEK AND MUSHROOM PIE

Serves 6

● 75g (2½oz) butter

● 3 large leeks, sliced

● 75g (2½oz) plain flour, plus extra to dust

● 300ml (10fl oz) apple juice

● 450ml (15fl oz) chicken stock

● 250g (9oz) portobello mushrooms, sliced

● 1tbsp Dijon mustard

● 1tbsp freshly chopped thyme

● 3tbsp full-fat crème fraîche

● 750g (1lb 10oz) cooked chicken, sliced

● Salt and freshly ground black pepper

● 500g packet of all-butter puff pastry

● 1 egg, beaten with a little milk

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Melt the butter in a large frying pan then add the sliced leeks, and fry them over a high heat for 2 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat, and cook for 10 minutes longer, or until tender.

Turn up the heat, stir in the plain flour, then blend in the apple juice and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time, then add the portobello mushrooms, mustard, thyme and crème fraîche. Add the cooked chicken, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into a 2.4ltr ovenproof pie dish and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make the pastry top. On a worktop lightly dusted with flour, roll out the puff pastry until it is a little bigger than the pie dish. Cut strips of pastry to the size of the lip of the dish, then wet the lip with water and attach the strips on top. Wet the top of the strips with a little water, then lay the pastry lid on top of them and press down firmly to seal the edges. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork.

Brush the pastry with the egg and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling is piping hot.

This is an old-fashioned pie that’s perfect for Sunday lunch.