Recipe // Vegan ‘chicken’ and mushroom pie

One thing I’ve loved about lockdown, is I’ve got the time to spend in the kitchen. Being less rushed trying to make meals has given me the motivation to experiment again. Usually, weeknights at least, we’re rushing around from one group to the next, and I’m feeding everyone at different times, that it’s a case of cooking something quick and easy.

Sunday’s are usually a roast day… you can’t beat a good roast dinner, and I love cooking up a great big meal for us all. It’s nice to come up with something different as the main component to a roast, with two vegans and a veggie in the house, I don’t do meat with our roast – often it’s veggie sausages, occasionally a veggie chicken kiev.

Last week I was scrolling through Instagram, and came across a chicken pie someone has made, it was very un-vegan with the meat, and double cream for the sauce, but it gave me a burst of inspiration!

So this last Sunday, I decided to make my own ‘chicken’ pie. Cooking without a recipe is my favourite, I learned to cook vegetarian so I’m happy to just make it up as I go along. The result was delicious – definitely one of the tastiest things I’ve eaten this year, and without a doubt one I’ll make again.

I N G R E D I E N T S

200g chicken style pieces [we use these ones]

100g mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 tsp mixed dried herbs

1 tsp stock/1 stock cube

1tbsp cornflour

200ml milk

1 pack filo pastry

M E T H O D

Heat a tbsp oil in a frying pan, add onions and mushrooms, fry for a couple of minutes then add the garlic and herbs.

Add in the chicken pieces and fry for three minutes.

Cook for a further two minutes, then add the cornflour and stock and stir well.

Turn the heat right down, and add the milk a little at a time. Stir to mix, and add more milk until you have a thick-ish sauce.

Once the sauce is the right thickness, pour the mix into a pie or casserole dish.

Take a sheet of filo pastry, crumple it and put on top of the pie filling. Repeat with more filo until the top is covered in pastry.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the pastry.

Bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

I served with roast veg, homemade roast potatoes, and homemade yorkshire puddings.