Creamy chicken and ham pie

Creamy chicken and ham pie Method 1. Kick off by cooking the chicken, which can even be done the day before. Put the bird into a saucepan in which it fits snugly then fill with enough water so that it's just dunked under, then bring to a bubble and skim off any flotsam. Next salt it well and twist in some pepper, then tuck in 2 halved onions, a rinsed quartered leek, and a tied mixed bunch of bay, parsley and thyme. Turn down the heat and let it gently poach for an hour. The water must just be blip-bubbling, not boiling. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken to cool in its stock.

Once the chicken has cooled, lift it from the stock, then remove the meat - discarding all the skin and bones- and flake into chunks. Flake the ham into chunks as well, then put with the chicken in a large bowl. Sieve the stock, discarding all the flavourings.

Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook together to make a paste, gently moving it about, so that it doesn't catch and burn. Then slowly pour in 450ml of the stock and the cream and cook to a thick sauce, while stirring. Season lightly, then stir in the mushrooms and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour this sauce over the chicken and ham and mix together. Allow to cool, then cover and chill.

Roll out the pastry until around 3mm thick and use to line a shallow 26cm diameter, lightly greased, loose-bottomed pie tin or tart ring - or something near to those dimensions. If using a ring set it on a greased baking sheet. Trim the pastry off so that it leaves a lip-like edge around its rim, then fill the pastry case with the cold chicken sauce. Mould all the pastry scraps back into a ball and roll out again, into a disc large enough to cover the pie top. Brush the pie's pastry rim with beaten egg, then drape the pastry disc over the top of the filling, lightly pressing it to the pie's sides, then trim off. Make a hole in the middle (to allow excess steam to escape), then brush the top with beaten egg and bake for 1 hour in a 190°C/ 375°F/ Gas 5 oven. If the top browns too quickly, move it to the lower shelf.