Chicken, Morels and Asparagus One-Pan Pie

• fresh morels↗100g g

  or 30 g dried morels

• chicken stock↗200ml ml

  (if using fresh morels)

• butter↗50g g
• shallots↗2

  thinly sliced

• thyme sprigs↗3

  leaves gathered

• bay leaf↗2
• plain flour↗1 tbsp tbsp

  plus extra for dusting

• dry sherry↗100ml ml

  or white wine

• crème fraîche↗200ml ml
• skinless boneless chicken thighs↗6

  cut into large pieces

• bunch of asparagus↗

  wooden ends removed, stems cut into 4 cm pieces

• tarragon½ pack pack

  leaf roughly chopped, plus a sprig for garnish

• puff pastry↗1 block block

  (375g), best from pure butter

• egg↗1

  beaten, for glaze

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   If you are using dried mushrooms, heat the stock and soak them for 10 minutes, then remove, strain the liquid and set aside. If you are using fresh mushrooms, clean them thoroughly before use. Set aside a few of the prettiest morels to garnish the top of the pie, and cut the rest in half.

2. 2

   Heat half the butter in a pan and sauté the halved morels for 3–4 minutes until they wilt. Transfer them to a plate and set aside. Heat the remaining butter and gently sauté the shallots in the pan together with the thyme and bay leaf. When they become soft, add the flour and cook for 1 minute until a sandy paste forms.

3. 3

   Pour in the sherry and let it sizzle, then gently stir in the strained liquid (or 200 ml chicken stock if you used fresh morels), after which add the crème fraîche. Season well and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Add the chicken and simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes until the meat is almost cooked. Remove the bay leaf, add the asparagus, tarragon and the sautéed morels, then remove from heat.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 220 °C/200 °C with convection/gas 8. The pastry should sit on top of the ingredients, so if your pan is too deep, use a pie dish. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a one‑pound coin, then cut it to the size of the pan or dish and cover the mixture, using a rolling pin for help. Generously brush with egg, season the pastry with coarse sea salt and arrange the reserved morels on top. Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry rises and turns a deep golden‑brown colour. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving straight from the pan.