Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

• 50 g Butter
• 2 medium Leek
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 300 g Cremini mushrooms
• 650 g Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
• 6 sprigs Fresh thyme
• 35 g Plain flour
• 450 ml Chicken stock
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 200 ml Double cream
• 320 g Puff pastry, all-butter preferred
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Put a baking dish in the oven to warm while you make the filling.
2. Trim and wash the leek well, then slice it. Peel and finely grate the garlic, and slice the mushrooms.
3. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek with a pinch of the salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened but not coloured.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has mostly evaporated.
5. Add the chicken thighs and the thyme sprigs, season with the remaining salt and the pepper, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the chicken is opaque on the outside. Sprinkle over the plain flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring well so it coats everything.
6. Pour in the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring to keep the sauce smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Turn the heat to low and stir in the Dijon mustard and double cream. Warm for 2 minutes without boiling, then remove and discard the thyme sprigs.
8. Tip the filling into the warm baking dish and let it cool for 5 minutes so the pastry does not melt on contact. Meanwhile, unroll the puff pastry and cut it to fit the top of the dish.
9. Beat the egg, then brush it over the pastry. Lay the pastry over the filling, press the edges to seal, and cut a small steam hole in the centre.
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is well risen and deeply golden, and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve piping hot.

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