Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

July 16, 2025

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I need to rave concerning the wealthy, savoury filling of this Hen Mushroom Pie, however all anybody can speak about is the Duchess Potato topping…..😅 Fluffy and buttery inside with crispy parmesan crusted ridges, I need to decide them off one after the other and eat all of them on my own!

A hen mushroom pie like no different!

It is a pie with a lid like no different. We’re speaking fluffy, buttery swirls of mashed potato piped into mounds – Duchess Potato type – drizzled with butter and baked till golden, crusted with parmesan.

The peaks and ridges are crispy, the within is fluffy and creamy, and the underside soaks up the wealthy sauce of the pie filling beneath. It’s principally a elaborate potato crown to your pie……

Sorry puff pastry! You’ve been dethroned!

As for what’s beneath? A wealthy pie filling with huge juicy bites of hen and mushroom with a deeply savoury darkish brown sauce that tastes such as you’ve been sluggish cooking for hours slightly than quarter-hour.

It’s positively a reduce above your common hen pie. In actual fact, it was initially christened an Further Good Hen Mushroom Pie (go on, have a giggle and mock my lack of inventive writing abilities!). I had deliberate to inform you the little additional issues I do to make it additional good: Guinness beer for fast depth within the sauce (suppose – Guinness Stew!), searing hen items entire slightly than chopped for higher color (which equals flavour), and utilizing beef slightly than hen inventory for a darker, deeper flavoured sauce.

Little issues – however they make such a distinction!

PS You’ll really feel such as you’re adorning a cake while you pipe the mash. It’s oddly satisfying / amusing.

Substances for Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

For those who make the error of including up the entire butter within the recipe (I’m not going to do the maths for you), only a reminder that we’re making an additional good pie right here. 🥰 For those who actually ~~need~~ want to chop again (physician’s orders are nearly the one acceptable motive), you should use oil spray as a substitute of butter to sear the hen and spritz the floor of the potato, and skip the second dab of butter within the mushrooms.

Simply don’t skip the butter to make the roux, else you danger lumpy sauce. 🙂

1. CHICKEN FOR THE PIE

I favor to make use of hen thighs slightly than breast, for juicier bites of hen. Although, that is nonetheless very good made with breast (it received’t overcook), I simply suppose it’s higher with thigh.

2. PIE FILLING SAUCE AND OTHER STUFF

Right here’s what you want for the opposite pie add-ins and the sauce:

Guinness beer – That is the key ingredient that makes Irish Beef Stew one of many biggest on the earth, giving the sauce a wealthy, darkish brown color and exquisite depth of flavour. It doesn’t style beery in any respect as a result of the alcohol is cooked out. Cans right here in Australia are 470ml (16oz) so that you’ll get two batches of this pie plus a couple of swigs for your self out of a can (freeze leftover beer, it’s wonderful to make use of flat in cooking).

See FAQ for gluten-free possibility making this with wine as a substitute of beer.
Beef inventory – The opposite liquid for the sauce. Beef slightly than hen inventory (the standard alternative when cooking with hen), for a darker brown sauce with deeper flavour.
Bacon – Thick reduce streaky works finest so you find yourself with good items all through the stew. The finely reduce slices (which are usually the extra artisan type bacon) will work however they’re a bit too delicate for a stew state of affairs – they curl and break.
Mushrooms – That is the principle vegetable on this pie so we’re utilizing a superb quantity, 500g/1lb in whole. I really like the pops of juiciness they convey into the filling, and the way they’re a sponge for sauce. Substitute with carrots, celery and peas (pie favourites!)
Garlic and onion – Flavour base for the sauce. I like to chop the onion bigger than traditional – both 2.5cm/1″ squares or thick wedges – I simply suppose it appears to be like nicer within the sauce than having a gazillion tiny little diced items.
Thyme – Basic herb alternative for this sauce, additionally utilized in Guinness Stew.
Flour – Thickens the sauce. Simply common plain/all-purpose flour. See FAQ for gluten-free possibility.
Tomato paste – Simply 1 tablespoon thickens the sauce barely and provides a contact of acidity to chop via the savouriness of the sauce. It was a late addition, and it’s positively a extra balanced sauce with it.
Butter – For cooking the mushrooms, hen and making the roux (every cooked individually on this additional good pie recipe 🙂 ). You’ll be able to reduce down if utilizing different greens that don’t take in oil (like carrots) and use oil spray as a substitute for browning the hen. However you want the butter for the roux (ie the step while you combine flour in) as you want a minimal quantity of fats else you’ll find yourself with a lumpy gravy.

3. DUCHESS POTATO TOPPING

And lastly, right here’s what you want for the Duchess potatoes lid for this magnificent pie! Potatoes, butter and milk for the creamy mash, then parmesan (retailer purchased grated works finest) and further butter for drizzling for the topping.

Potatoes – Starchy potatoes, slightly than waxy, are finest, so the within of the duchess potato swirls are fluffy inside with a light-weight crust on the floor. Australia – Sebago are excellent (these filth brushed potatoes we get “all over the place”). US – Russet, and UK – King Edward or Maris Piper are good. Or every other starchy potatoes – Dutch lotions, King Edwards or purple delight.
Parmesan – Information flash! Retailer purchased grated parmesan (the sandy sort) works higher right here because it appears to nestle within the crevices higher than finely grating your personal. I discover that grating my very own is so mild, like delicate snow flakes, you may find yourself with a layer that sits on high of the ridges of the swirls which bakes up like a skinny parmesan crisp slightly than melting contained in the ridges. (Am I actually nonetheless writing about this? BUT THESE LITTLE DETAILS MATTER TO ME! #ThatCrazyHomeCook 😅)

make Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

The order of cooking actually issues right here. Sear the hen first and also you’ll find yourself with a burnt pan earlier than you even begin the sauce. Cook dinner mushrooms with the onion they usually simply go watery with out browning. And in the event you don’t scale back the Guinness earlier than including flour, the sauce tastes too beery as a result of we’re not sluggish cooking for hours like we do Irish Guinness Stew.

So no, it’s not a fast throw-it-all-in-and-go recipe. However if you’d like a actually good hen pie, you’ve received one proper right here. 🙂

1. Filling

Use a big, deep, non stick pan. Mine is 30cm/12″ vast – this one (store round, I received mine for round $80, and no, that’s not an affiliate hyperlink!).

Garlic butter mushrooms first – Soften butter on excessive warmth, add mushrooms and stir for 3 – 4 minutes till frivolously colored however nonetheless agency – they’ll end cooking within the sauce. Add a bit extra butter, soften, toss to coat, then add garlic, salt and pepper. Cook dinner 20 seconds till garlic is golden, then switch to a bowl, scraping out all of the garlic bits (or they’ll burn).

💡Including the butter on the finish is my trick for getting that wealthy buttery flavour on mushrooms while not having a great deal of butter firstly. Mushrooms are sponges for fats!
Golden seared hen – Season with salt and pepper then sear till properly golden on each side (~2 minutes). The hen ought to nonetheless be uncooked inside – we end cooking it via later. As soon as cool, reduce into massive 2.5cm/1″ items (I do that whereas the sauce is simmering).

💡Searing entire provides higher color and flavour than chopped – each on the hen and within the sauce (because of all these golden pan bits – fond!).

Bacon and onion – Decrease the warmth barely so golden bits caught on the bottom of the pan don’t burn. Give the bacon a head begin – cook dinner for 20 seconds, then add the onion and cook dinner till it’s beginning to soften (~ 2 minutes). Add garlic and cook dinner for one more 20 seconds till golden.
Deglaze with Guinness – Add the beer, flip warmth as much as excessive and simmer quickly when you scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits caught on it. Simmer till diminished by about 75% – this may cook dinner out the alcohol and beeriness, abandoning wealthy savoury flavour that makes the sauce so particular!

Roux – Add butter and let it soften, then sprinkle the flour throughout the floor and blend it in. It’ll seem like totally unappetising sludge – have religion! 🙂
Beef inventory – Whereas stirring the sludge within the pan, pour in half the meat inventory, then preserve mixing till the sludge dissolves – the liquid will turn into a really thick gravy.

Sauce thickness – Right here’s the way it appears to be like at this stage. Very thick!
Simmer mushrooms – Then pour the remaining beef inventory in, plus the water, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir to mix (it must be fairly skinny and watery) then add the mushrooms. Simmer for 10 minutes. Throughout this time, the mushrooms will cook dinner and the liquid will scale back and thicken right into a gravy.

Add hen – As soon as the sauce has thickened, add the chopped hen and any amassed hen juices.
Thicken – Simmer for one more 2 – 3 minutes till the gravy thickens barely however stays saucy. Nevertheless thick or saucy it’s now’s how it is going to be contained in the pie as soon as baked. Aim thickness – while you drag a spoon throughout the bottom of the pan, the trail ought to briefly maintain earlier than the liquid flows again over it (like pictured above).

PIPING THE DUCHESS POTATO TOPPING

Fill pan – Pour the filling right into a 6 – 8 cup / 1.5 – 2 litre pan. You possibly can put it in particular person heatproof pie dishes or ramekins. Easy the floor to create a flat mattress for the Duchess Potatoes.

Be aware: Not like with Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie, there’s no want to attend till the filling cools and corporations up earlier than topping with mash, you may proceed whereas the filling remains to be sizzling.
Pipe mashed potato topping – Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with sizzling creamy mashed potato, then pipe mounds throughout the floor in any sample you need. My swirls have a ~ 4cm/1.6″ base and are about 4cm / 1.4″ tall.

Little blobs – Use the remaining mash to pipe little swirls or blobs to fill gaps. I do that randomly – neatness isn’t the purpose, I really like the country, uneven look. Plus, all people loves Duchess Potatoes, so squeeze in as many as you may!
Drizzle and sprinkle – Drizzle the butter throughout, then sprinkle with parmesan.

BAKING

Bake for half-hour till the potatoes are tinged with gold and frivolously crispy, and it’s effervescent across the edges. Be aware to self: In case your pan is slightly full (like mine), put a tray on the ground of the oven to catch drips!
Relaxation for five minutes, simply to let it stabilise a bit earlier than serving (in the event you serve it straight out of the oven, it’s a little bit of sloppy mess!). And in the event you’re feeling actually fancy, sprinkle with a pinch of parsley for a dusting of inexperienced freshness.

HOW GOOD DOES THAT LOOK!!! And simply wait till you style it!

Use a big spatula or serving spoon so you will get a superb quantity of pie filling and potato topping collectively when serving. The Duchess Potatoes really holds collectively fairly effectively when scooped out.

Now. It’s time so that you can come clear.

Be trustworthy.

You need to decide off all of the Duchess Potatoes and run away with them too, proper? 😈 Don’t go away me hanging! – Nagi x

Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

Ugh, it was means more durable than I anticipated. I used to be overly assured – it’s “my form of meals” and I’ve made a great deal of stews and pies earlier than.

Firstly, I had it in my head that I needed the pie to be slightly particular. It’s straightforward sufficient to make a fast ‘n straightforward hen pie the place you cook dinner up every little thing in a pan in a single go, throw in slightly flour, inventory and milk to make the sauce, then put a lid of puff pastry on it.

However, hen bites don’t brown like stewing beef, and it provides a lot flavour to the meat while you get color it, to not point out the additional flavour you get within the sauce from the fond (brown bits) left within the pan from searing proteins.

So the primary iterations I made utilizing chew measurement hen items had been wonderful, however they simply weren’t particular. Once I switched to searing entire hen thighs to get a beautiful golden sear on them and chopping them up later, that went some strategy to resolve the flavour drawback.

Then getting the appropriate amount of Guinness turned out to require a couple of extra makes an attempt that I anticipated. At first, I assumed extra Guinness would equal extra flavour, so I tipped the entire can in. It was so bitter, it bordered on inedible. 😅 The subsequent try I used 1 1/2 cups and it was nonetheless an excessive amount of. I used to be stunned, it’s not that a lot – however I underestimated how intense the flavour of stout beers are particularly when not sluggish cooking for hours like we do Guinness Stew.

Seems, 3/4 cup is the restrict for the amount of sauce we want on this pie.

All through this I additionally needed to fiddle to get the sauce amount and thickness proper. That is one thing I grapple with each pie recipe. You’d suppose there’d be a normal system – however there’s not. It relies on the form of the meat (shredded meat works higher with thinner sauce and holds extra sauce too eg Hen Pot Pie), the greens used (eg. broccoli are sauce hogs), hen vs beef (hen bites can’t be sluggish cooked so that you must get extra flavour in much less liquid sooner as you don’t have sauce flavour growth time such as you get with sluggish cooked beef pie recipes like Meat Pies).

I additionally had a couple of fails with the piped topping. Firstly, getting the appropriate consistency so it’s creamy however nonetheless pipe-able and holds its type when baked (I had a few Duchess melting conditions). And the piping tip issues too – in the event you use one which creates extra ruffles (like Wilton 2D which is a favorite for frosting), they appear nice when piped however don’t maintain their type within the oven.

Seems, a daily star tip works finest!

I had a couple of extra points – main overflow within the oven, mushrooms not cooked via….. Let’s simply say the builders have had a LOT of pie in latest weeks! 🙂

Watch methods to make it

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Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

A hen mushroom pie like no different!