Chicken Mushroom Pie with Duchess Potato Lid

Fluffy duchess potato topping with crispy parmesan ridges crowns a rich, savory chicken and mushroom filling. This pie combines tender chicken thighs, earthy mushrooms, and streaky bacon in a Guinness-infused sauce, finished with creamy, buttery mashed potato swirls. Perfect for make-ahead meals or a comforting dinner.

Instructions

1. 1

   Melt 1/4 of the butter in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add mushrooms, toss 3–4 minutes until lightly browned.

2. 2

   Add another 1/4 butter, toss mushrooms to coat. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and half the garlic. Cook 30 seconds until garlic is golden. Remove mushrooms into a bowl.

3. 3

   Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Melt another 1/4 butter in pan and sear chicken 2 minutes per side until golden. Remove and cut into 2.5cm / 1" pieces.

4. 4

   Add bacon to pan, stir 15 seconds, then onions. Cook 2 minutes until golden and softened. Add remaining garlic and stir 20 seconds.

5. 5

   Deglaze with Guinness, scraping base of pan, and simmer until reduced by 75%.

6. 6

   Lower heat to medium, add remaining butter. Sprinkle flour, stir 1 minute to form paste. Gradually pour in half the stock, stir until smooth, then add remaining stock, water, tomato paste, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.

7. 7

   Return mushrooms with their juices to the pan. Simmer 10 minutes until gravy thickens and mushrooms are tender.

8. 8

   Add chicken and simmer 2–3 minutes until gravy is thick and coating the base of the pan. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

9. 9

   Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan-forced). Pour filling into a 1.5–2 L (6–8 cup) baking dish.

10. 10

    For mashed potato topping, boil potatoes 15 minutes until soft. Drain and mash or rice potatoes, then stir in butter, milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and white pepper.

11. 11

    Pipe or spoon mashed potato onto pie in swirls, about 4–4.5 cm tall. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle parmesan.

12. 12

    Bake 30 minutes, rotating at 20 minutes, until topping is golden. Rest 10 minutes, garnish with parsley, then serve.

Recipe Notes

• Chicken breast can be used, but thighs are juicier. Cut into bite-size pieces and sear as instructed.

• Halve salt for fine table salt; increase by 50% for salt flakes.

• Guinness beer is key for rich sauce flavour. Stout or dry red wine can be substituted.

• Starchy potatoes yield the best mash with fluffy insides and crispy outsides.

• Use any appropriately sized baking dish. Individual pies may be made, adjusting baking time.

• If no piping bag, use a ziplock bag, spoon, or spread mash like cottage pie.