Some food isn’t good in high heels and while a pie isn’t often a showpiece dish, I think this one is as close as you can get. The flavour combinations are classic and comforting, and the decoration is a bit of fun, which makes this a wonderful dish for a winter party. It isn’t cheap to produce, but every now and again we all deserve a bit of extravagance. The pie is best made over two days – making the filling on day one before finishing it the next day. Dried morels are available in some supermarkets, but if you wish, you could substitute them for 100g of button mushrooms – though you won’t get the same depth of flavour.
Chicken, lobster & morel mushroom pie
Author: Terry Laybourne
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 1 (approx. 500g) lobster, cooked
- 5g dried morel mushrooms, soaked in a cup of boiling water
- 1tbsp chopped onion
- 1½tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- salt
- 1tbsp Cognac
- 1tbsp Madeira (or dry sherry)
- 250g boneless chicken thighs
- 1tbsp plain flour
- 300ml lobster bisque (tinned)
- ½tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- ½tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2tbsp double cream
- 1tbsp cornflour mixed with 1tbsp cold water
- A pinch of cayenne pepper, as needed
- A few drops of sherry vinegar, as needed
- For the pie:
- 250g puff pastry (ready rolled is fine)
- 1tbsp plain flour
- 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1tsp milk
Method
- Remove the meat from the lobster (or have your fishmonger do it for you) and cut into large chunks. If you wish to decorate your pie as I have done here, retain the shell from the head and claws.
- Drain the soaked morels and cut them in half lengthways.
- In a small, shallow saucepan – sweat the onions in 1tsp butter until transparent. Add the drained morels and a pinch of salt to the pan, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and braise gently for 5 mins.
- Remove the lid, add the Cognac and Madeira (or sherry) and cook uncovered until the liquid has reduced by half. Set the pan aside.
- Heat the remaining butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams.
- Toss the chicken thigh meat in the flour, shake off the excess, then add to the butter, stirring with a spatula until sealed.
- Add the lobster bisque and bring the pan gently to a boil, scraping the base as it heats. Cover with a lid, lower the heat and braise gently for 10 mins to cook the chicken.
- Remove the lid and add the morel mushroom mixture. Bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 2-3 mins, before adding the lobster, tarragon and parsley. Simmer for another couple of minutes, then add the double cream.
- Adjust the consistency if necessary with a little cornflour mixture (you are looking for a thick, creamy unctuous pie filling). Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and cayenne pepper. Enliven with a drop or two of sherry vinegar if needed. Transfer to the pie dish and leave to cool.
- For the pie (preferably on day two) – roll out the pastry on a floured board to an even 5mm thickness (or simply unpack if using ready rolled). Brush the edges of a pie dish with beaten egg yolk and drape the pastry over. Press the edges down firmly, then trim with a small knife. Brush the surface of the pastry with the egg yolk, then decorate the top as extravagantly as you wish using the puff pastry trimmings and the lobster shell.
- Chill the pie in the fridge then glaze once more with beaten egg yolk (this second glaze is important to create a high gloss finish).
- Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and bake the pie for 25-30 mins until the pastry is brown and crisp, and the filling is bubbling.
- Serve with boiled potatoes and simple green vegetables.
