A Year In Redwood

This pie came about for 2 reasons… I was on another ‘let’s clear out the freezer week’ and I spotted John Whelan’s Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Pie over on The Devil’s Menu.

It seems to be the story of my life, but, of course I didn’t have all the ingredients!  I had some bacon left over from a joint, so that was a good start.  The chances of finding enoki mushrooms or ceps in this part of rural Ireland…… well…..

So here’s my adaptation of John’s recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion
• 1 punnet button mushrooms
• 6 or so dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in about 2 tablespoons of water)
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• Black Pepper
  
• 350 g/ 3/4 lb cooked bacon, diced

• 28 g/1 oz butter
• 28 g/1 oz flour
• 570 ml/1 pt milk + water mushrooms were soaked in
• Pastry – you could use shop bought or make your own.
  

Grease your pie dish.

Heat oven to 180 C/375 F/Gas 4.

Chop onion and fry gently in some butter for about 5 minutes.  Fry chopped mushrooms separately.  Mix onion, diced bacon and mushrooms (including the drained porcini mushrooms) together.  Sprinkle in the chopped rosemary and thyme and some coarse ground black pepper.

To make your white sauce – melt 1 oz/28 g butter, add flour and allow to cook for about 2 minutes.  Take off the heat and add milk a little at a time, stirring well between each addition.  When all the milk is mixed in add in the ‘mushroom water’.  (This does make sauce look a strange colour but don’t worry.)

Return sauce pan to heat and stir constantly until it begins to boil and thicken.  Reduce heat and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Mix sauce with your bacon mixture.

Pour into a pie dish. If you have a pie funnel insert it.

Top with pastry.  Brush with egg wash.  And bake in oven for about 35 minutes.

We served this with some creamy mashed potatoes and some homegrown peas from the freezer.

Enjoy!