Chicken and mushroom pies

Babiche Martens

Everyone loves a good chicken pie and this one is extra delicious. It is pastry-free and comes with a tasty kumara and potato mash topping. I have thickened the filling with just a little cornflour to ensure it doesn’t get too stodgy, as there is nothing worse than thick, gloopy pie filling.

Mix it up with other herbs if you have them. Tarragon complements chicken beautifully, as does dill. With no butter in the filling, you may want to make it a little richer by making the liquid half cream, half milk. I’ve made individual dishes, but one big pie is just as easy. Serve with a winter coleslaw or hot vegetables.

Topping

2 cups	Potatoes, peeled and cubed (Main)
2 cups	Kumara, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp	Butter
½ cup	Milk

Filling

2 Tbsp	Oil
600 g	Chicken breasts, cut into cubes (Main)
1	Onion, chopped finely
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed
200 g	Mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ cups	Milk, full cream
1	Bay leaf
2 Tbsp	Chopped parsley
1 Tbsp	Capers, chopped
1 tsp	Paprika
1 tsp	Mustard
1 ½ Tbsp	Cornflour, mixed in 2 Tbsp cold water
1 Tbsp	Chopped parsley, to garnish

Directions

1. Place potatoes and kumara ina pot of salted water. Cover and cook until soft. Mash, adding the butter and milk, until smooth.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the chicken until cooked through.
3. Heat remaining oil. Add onion and garlic, cooking for 2 minutes until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
4. To mushroom mix add milk, bay leaf, parsley, capers, paprika and mustard. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cornflour and stir until thick. Stir through the cooked chicken.
5. Preheat oven to 180C.
6. Spoon the mixture into four individual dishes or one family size oven proof dish. Top with potato mix. Sprinkle a little extra parsley on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and golden brown.

Here are more of Angela's simple recipes for Mother's day

• Courgette and rocket pasta
• Maple and pecan pie