Chicken and brocooli pie

Ingredients:

• 75g butter
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 head (about 200g) of broccoli, broken into small florets
• Bowl of iced water
• 2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 350ml chicken stock, hot
• 1 heaped tsp English mustard
• 150ml single cream
• 400g cooked chicken, torn into bite-size pieces
• 350g all-butter puff pastry
• 1 medium free-range egg, beaten

Preparation:

          Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Melt 25g of the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook slowly for 15 minutes or until softened and caramelised. Remove from the heat and set aside.

         Steam the broccoli for 3-4 minutes until al dente, refresh in a bowl of iced water, then drain.

        Melt the remaining butter in a large pan over a medium heat, add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring well to combine. Gradually add the stock, whisking constantly until it thickens. If it goes a bit lumpy, don’t worry; just whisk briskly until smooth. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Season well and add the mustard. Stir in the cream, then simmer for a further minute.

         Add the broccoli and chicken to the sauce and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a 1.5 litre pie dish.

        On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out to the thickness of a pound coin, making sure it’s large enough to cover the top of the dish. Brush the edges of the dish with a little beaten egg and place the pastry on top. Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Use a sharp knife to make a small hole in the centre of the pastry to allow the steam to escape, then cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden