One of our most popular pies, this comes with a little porcelain bird chimney to let the steam out at the Builders Arms – it’s old school, but our customers love it. Mash is a must and I think this is delicious served with some freshly steamed broccoli. In early spring, you could throw handful of wild garlic into the filling mixture; or in the winter, a grating of fresh black truffle.
1 x 1.2kg whole chicken – roasted and rested
200g button onions, peeled but left whole
3 garlic cloves, peeled
200g mixed wild mushrooms, sliced
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
300g puff pastry
Sea salt and black pepper, olive oil for cooking
500ml chicken stock (fresh or homemade is best)
50g plain flour
100ml tablespoons double cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon English mustard
Grated Zest 1/2 orange
A handful of tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
First, start the filling. Heat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Place the chicken in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast it in the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes, until cooked through and the juices run clear. Leave the chicken to rest for 15–20 minutes. Tear off big chunks of the meat,
Once the chicken has cooled, add a lug of oil to a large sauté pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the onions, season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and mushrooms and sweat for 20 minutes, until softened without any colour. Then sprinkle in the flour cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken chunks and any resting juices, followed by the mustards, the wine, reduce right down then add the stock and reduce by half before adding in the cream. Stir, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
To assemble the pie, first heat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Roll out the pastry to a disc 5mm thick if needed, although ready-rolled pastry should be the right thickness.
Spoon the cooled pie filling into the pastry case, brush the edge of the dish with egg wash and the drape the pastry disc over the top to cover and form a pie lid. Crimp the pastry edge against the rim of the pie dish to seal and trim the excess.
Brush the pastry lid with egg wash and poke three holes in the middle to let the steam escape.
Bake the pie in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and golden brown and the filling is piping hot.
Your seat at the Cubitt Christmas table is waiting. You bring the good company - we’ll handle the rest.
This one’s got winter written all over it.
Ben Tish’s Shepherd’s Pie is rich, warming and just the thing for dark evenings and second helpings. Slow-cooked ragú with a splash of Rioja, topped with the cheesiest mash (Parmesan, Pecorino and Taleggio - we don’t mess around).
Comfort food done properly.
Read the full recipe at the link in bio.
The Festive Season has arrived at Cubitt House.
Whether it’s oysters and Champagne or Turkey with all the trimmings, a Cubitt Christmas is always served with style (and second helpings).
Tomorrow evening, we are teaming up with @schoonerscorer for a Pub Quiz in aid of Movember down in The Blood Orange Bar - expect pints, pub snacks, live music and a few questions designed to keep you on your toes.
Tickets are very limited and flying fast - grab yours at the link in bio
