Devilled chicken pie recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, cut into 4 cm (2 in) cubes
• 1 tsp dried rosemary and thyme, crushed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 6 anchovy fillets, pounded to a paste
• 10 fl oz  (300 ml) double cream
• 1 tsp anchovy sauce
• 1 tsp paprika

• 4 largish Desirée potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 small wine glass of milk (about 150 ml / 5 fl oz)
• 3½ oz (100 g) butter

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Coat the chicken cubes in the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Lay the chicken in the pan in one layer and fry briskly, turning until it changes from pink to white; you may need to do this in batches. The chicken does not need to be cooked through, just sealed on the outside. Keep the chicken to one side on a plate until needed.
2. Mix the Worcestershire sauce and anchovies together in a bowl until blended. Pour in the cream and anchovy sauce and sprinkle in the paprika. Mix it well and set it aside.
3. Now make the mash by boiling the potatoes in plenty of salted water until they are very soft when poked with a sharp knife. Drain the spuds and mash. I use a mouli (pictured on page) to make a lovely lump-free mash. Stir through the milk and butter; you may need a bit more or less milk to end up with a fairly soft mash. Add some salt; you’ll probably need quite a bit.
4. Fill a pie dish with the chicken and creamy anchovy sauce, and mix through. Top the pie dish with the mash, spooning the mash all over the top. Smooth over any holes with the back of your spoon and take a fork to rough the surface of the mash into peaks, which will become brown and crispy. Pop it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
5. I like to serve with roast vegetables such as parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut squash.