Description
This Chicken Mushroom Pie with Duchess Potato lid is a hearty, comforting dish combining tender chicken thighs and savory mushrooms in a rich Guinness-infused gravy, topped with elegantly piped, creamy duchess potatoes baked to golden perfection. Perfect for a cozy family dinner, it offers a rustic yet refined taste with layers of deep flavor from bacon, fresh thyme, and a sharp parmesan crust.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Filling:
- 750 g / 1.5 lb chicken thighs, boneless skinless
- 500 g / 1 lb button mushrooms – very small ones whole, larger ones halved or quartered
- 100 g / 3.5 oz thick cut streaky bacon, cut into 2.5cm/1″ squares
- 1 1/2 onions, cut into 2cm/1″ squares or thick wedges
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
- 1/4 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 3/4 cup Guinness beer
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock/broth, low sodium
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 60 g / (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, approximately divided into 4 portions
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper, divided
Mashed Potato Topping:
- 1 kg / 2 lb starchy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1″ cubes
- 30 g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1.5 cm / 1/2″ pieces
- 1/3 cup hot milk
- 1/8 tsp white pepper (can substitute black pepper)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Topping:
- 30 g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil spray)
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (sandy store-bought type or freshly grated)
- 2 tsp finely chopped parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms: Melt one quarter of the butter in a large 30cm (12″) non-stick pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and toss for 3–4 minutes until browned on the surface. Add another quarter of the butter, melt and toss to coat mushrooms. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and half the garlic, stirring for 30 seconds until garlic is golden but mushrooms are still firm inside. Remove mushrooms to a bowl, scraping out any garlic.
- Sear Chicken: Sprinkle chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In the same pan, melt the next quarter of butter until hot and foamy. Sear chicken for 2 minutes on each side until golden on the outside but still raw inside. Work in batches if needed. Remove to a plate and once cooled, cut into 2.5cm (1″) pieces.
- Sauté Bacon and Onions: Add bacon to the pan, stir for 15 seconds, then add onions. Cook for 2 minutes until onion edges are golden and softening. Add remaining garlic and stir for 20 seconds.
- Deglaze with Guinness: Pour in the Guinness and let it simmer rapidly, scraping the pan base to loosen browned bits. Reduce the liquid by about 75%.
- Make the Sauce: Lower heat to medium and melt remaining butter. Sprinkle flour evenly and stir for 1 minute to form a paste. Gradually add half the beef stock while stirring to avoid lumps. Then add remaining stock, water, tomato paste, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper, stirring well to combine.
- Simmer Mushrooms: Add mushrooms along with accumulated juices to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens into a gravy and mushrooms soften. Begin preparing mashed potatoes during this time.
- Thicken Sauce with Chicken: Add chicken pieces and their juices, simmer for another 2–3 minutes until the gravy is thick enough to leave a path when stirred. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
- Assemble the Pie: Pour the filling into a 1.5 to 2 L (6–8 cup) baking dish and smooth the surface. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C (fan-forced).
- Prepare Duchess Potato Topping: Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, pipe large swirls of mashed potato (4.5cm base, 4cm tall) covering the surface. Fill gaps with smaller swirls. Drizzle melted butter over the top and sprinkle grated parmesan.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway at 20 minutes, until the topping is golden and crispy.
- Serve: Let the pie rest for 10 minutes after baking. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired, then serve and enjoy!
- Make Mashed Potatoes: Boil potatoes in cold water over high heat for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and mash or pass through a ricer. Stir in butter, hot milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp white pepper until creamy but firm enough to pipe.
Notes
- Use kosher or cooking salt as preferred; seasoning is divided for balanced flavor layering.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs provide tender, juicy meat ideal for simmering.
- Guinness beer adds deep, malty richness but can be substituted with stout beer or a dark ale.
- Starchy potatoes such as Russets or Yukon Golds create fluffy, smooth mash perfect for piping.
- Adjust baking dish size as needed; 1.5 to 2 liters capacity recommended for six servings.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, shape mashed potatoes into mounds with spoons and carefully arrange on top before baking.
- Resting pie after baking allows flavors to meld and topping to set for easier serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/6th of pie)
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
