- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 90g butter
- 4 shallots
- 4 carrots
- 2 celery stick
- A large handful of sorrel
- 400g portobello mushrooms
- 500g chicken breast mini fillets
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 chicken stock cube
- 1 green cabbage
- 454ml single cream
- Sea salt & black pepper
- 7-8 tbsp cold water
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- Food processor (optional)
- Medium pan
- Ovenproof dish
- 1.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Tip the flour into a food processor and scoop out 1/2 tbsp for later. Add 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt. Chop in the butter. Blitz to make a fine, sandy-textured mix. No processor? Pop the ingredients into a bowl and rub together with your fingertips to make a breadcrumb textured mix.
- 2.
Add 3-4 tbsp cold water and briefly blitz to bring the pastry together (if you’re not using a processor, stir in the water till the pastry comes together). Tip the pastry out onto your work surface. Press it into a flat round. Wrap in greaseproof paper and pop it in the freezer to chill.
- 3.
While the pastry chills, peel and finely slice the shallots. Peel and finely chop the carrots. Trim the celery and finely slice it. Finely slice the sorrel. Slice the portobello mushrooms. Chop the chicken breast mini fillets into bite-size pieces.
- 4.
Warm ½ tbsp olive oil in a medium pan for 1 min, then add and the chicken. Fry for 5 mins, turning once or twice, till browned all over. Lift the chicken out of the pan and onto a plate.
- 5.
Add the shallots, carrots, mushrooms and celery to the pan with 4 tbsp cold water. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the heat low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins till the veg are glossy.
- 6.
Stir the chicken back into the pan with any juices from the plate. Add the sorrel and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard. Crumble in the stock cube. Stir in the cream. Taste and season with more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Spoon the mix into a 1 ltr ovenproof dish, or 2 x 500ml dishes.
- 7.
Dust your work surface with the reserved flour. Roll out the pastry to make a lid to cover the dish (or dishes). Brush the edges of the pastry with water and press them onto the rim of the dish to seal. Poke a hole in the middle of the lid and brush it with water. Bake for 30 mins till browned.
- 8.
Meanwhile, shred half the cabbage. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. When the pie is almost ready, add the cabbage to the boiling water. Simmer for 5 mins, or till cooked. Drain well. Serve the pie in bowls with the cabbage on the side.
- Tip
Cabbage love
You only need half a cabbage for this recipe, so what to do with that extra? How about roasting wedges of it in a hot oven till golden and caramelised, then dress with tamari, fresh chilli, garlic and lime and serve as a zingy side to roasted meat or fish.