My family are pie people. Whenever I get the urge to bake a pie, it doesn’t matter want type of pie I choose, it is sure to be a winner.

Not only is this chicken pie absolutely delicious, it is surprisingly easy to make. The taste is far more impressive than the considerably brief amount of time it takes to prepare the filling.

The mixture is a wonderful idea if you are having a party. Just purchase small, ready-made vol-au-vent cases from the supermarket and spoon a little of the warmed filling into the cases. Place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat through the cases and voila! Finger food is ready to be served to your guests.

Chicken Pie

1 kg chicken breast fillets

60g butter

3 heaped tablespoons plain flour

1 cup cream

Salt & pepper

100g tasty cheese

220g mushrooms

4 shallots

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

3 tablespoons dry sherry

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 sheets puff pastry

Boil or steam chicken until tender, remove from heat and reserve approximately 1 cup of the chicken stock. Cut chicken into bite sized cubes.

Heat butter in a frying pan, add flour and stir until combined. Remove pan from heat, gradually add chicken stock and cream, stirring continually. Stir until well combined.

Return the pan to the heat and stir until the sauce boils and thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add grated cheese, chopped mushrooms, chopped shallots, chopped parsley, sherry and mustard. Stir until cheese melts.

Add chicken pieces to mixture. Allow pie filling to cool.

Line the pie plate with 1 sheet of puff pastry. Place cooled filling in dish. Top with remaining sheet of pastry. Pinch edges of pastry together and decorate the top as you wish.

Bake at 230 degrees C for approximately 40 minutes, or until pie is golden brown.