A classic British savory pie in miniature form, these individual Chicken and Mushroom Pies are the epitome of comfort. Inside a perfectly flaky crust is a luscious chicken and mushroom filling that totally satisfies. This particular version is in honor of Harry Potter, since he enjoyed mini pies such as these throughout the books.
4ounces(1 stick) cold unsalted butter,cut into pieces
½cupvegetable shorteningchilled and cut into pieces (I use Spectrum non-hydrogenated shortening)
½cup to ¾ cupcold water
Filling:
2tablespoonsvegetable oil
1medium onionfinely chopped
8ouncescremini mushroomschopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½teaspoondried thyme
5tablespoonsall-purpose flour
2cupschicken broth
1poundboneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, diced into ¼-inch pieces
1egg beaten
Instructions
To make the dough: Stir the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening pieces and toss to coat with the flour, then flatten the butter and shortening pieces between your fingers until there are pea-sized pieces of butter and shortening throughout the flour. Sprinkled ½ cup of cold water over the mixture, and gently use a rubber spatula or bowl scraper to hydrate the flour until the mixture sticks together. Add more water by the tablespoonful as needed until the dough holds together. Divide the dough in half, form into two disks, and wrap each disk with plastic wrap. Chill at least two hours or preferably overnight.
To make the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until softened. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme, then sprinkle the flour over and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring. Cook until the mixture thickens (it will continue to thicken as it bakes). Add the chopped chicken breast, stir, and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and broth is thick. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl or container and cool completely. You can do this step a day ahead of time, and refrigerate the filling until needed.
To assemble and bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a generously floured surface roll out each of the discs to about ⅛-inch thickness (it will be easier to cut the large circles if you aim for a 7-inch wide rectangle instead big circle like you’d normally do for a large pie). You will need to cut out 6 larger circles measuring about 6 ½-inches in diameter, and 6 smaller circles at 3 ¾-inch in diameter. For the larger circles you can trace a knife around a plate or saucer. For the smaller circles, use a circular dough cutter or trace the top of the glass. You will likely need to re-roll the scraps from both disks of dough one or more times in order to cut out enough circles.
Cut a small wedge from one side of each of the large circles, and then fit the large circles into the cups of a jumbo sized muffin pan. Press the cut edges together to seal once the dough is fitted into the cup. This will keep you from having a rumpled piece of dough inside the cup, and you’ll want those removed bits of dough for your scrap pile to re-roll later. You can also patch up with scraps of dough as needed if you accidentally cut the wedge too deep.
Fill each of the dough-lined muffin cups generously will the filling, about ½ cup into each. Take the smaller dough circles and brush the edges with a little water, then lay the smaller circles over the filling, and use your fingers to press and seal the dough. Crimp the edges if you’d like. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash, and use a sharp knife to cut a few slits to form vents.
Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking another 30 to 35 minutes until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and use a small offset spatula to gently pop each of the pies out of the muffin cups. You could also carefully flip over the pan onto a board or small sheet pan, but beware of leaks if any of the pie tops are a little loose.
Notes
To freeze: Cool pies completely, then wrap individually in plastic wrap, place into a freezer bag and freeze. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat them in a 350°F oven on a sheet pan until heated through (internal temperature should be 165°F).
Serving suggestions: If desired, serve these pies with a side of potatoes. Mashed, boiled, or roasted are all wonderful options. A green vegetable is highly recommended to balance out the starch and meat. Try steamed, roasted, or sautéed asparagus, broccoli, or green beans, boiled or sautéed green peas, or perhaps serve a fresh garden salad on the side.
Inspired by the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. They are basically an entirely different recipe. The quantities in the filling (more than doubled), the sizes of the dough circles, and cooking times have all changed from the original.