Chicken Pie

1. Add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl then put in the fridge for a few minutes to chill. (Keeping the pastry as cold as possible will help you to get a better result and create nice layers of pastry)

2. Remove the flour from the fridge and add the butter, use your fingertips to gently rub the butter into the flour loosely.

3. Pour in half of the water and use a knife or spatula to bring everything together. Keep adding more water until you achieve a rough dough, you may not need all of it. 

4. Gather the dough together and wrap in cling film. Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes. 

5. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the pastry into a rectangle (45x15cm) until about 1cm thick. Straighten up the sides with the rolling pin or your hands as you go, trying to keep the edges as square as possible. 

6. Fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that. 

7. Roll out and fold the pastry again, repeating this process 4 times in total to make a smooth dough with lots of layers. If the pastry starts to feel sticky or springs back when you roll, cover and chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes before continuing. Chill the finished pastry for at least an hour before making the pie. 

8. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. 

9. Season the chicken and fry in the pan for 5-8 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

10. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep to one side. Add the onion, mushrooms and thyme to the pan and fry on a high heat for 3 minutes, until the onions start to colour.

11. Add the plain flour to the pan and stir for 1 minute.

12. With the pan off the heat, slowly stir in the chicken stock and milk. Then, add the chicken back to the pan, place back on the heat and bring to the boil. Turn down to a medium-low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 

13. Remove the pan from the heat, and spoon the filling into a pie or baking dish with a lip, about 20x25cm or slightly larger. Leave to cool.

14. Heat oven to 220°C/200°C/gas mark 7. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of two £1 coins and large enough to cover the dish. Brush the lip of the dish with beaten egg then lift the pastry over the pie, using the rolling pin to help. Gently press the edges with your fingers and trim off excess pastry with a sharp knife. 

15. Brush the top of the pastry with the remaining egg to glaze, then bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden. 

If you don’t have time to make your own pastry, you can buy 500g of puff pastry from most supermarkets and follow from step 8 to create this classic dish.