Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

July 16, 2025

6

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

A rooster 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 flowery potato crown on your pie……

Sorry puff pastry! You’ve been dethroned!

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

It’s undoubtedly a reduce above your common rooster pie. Actually, it was initially christened an Additional Good Hen Mushroom Pie (go on, have a giggle and mock my lack of artistic writing abilities!). I had deliberate to inform you the little further issues I do to make it further good: Guinness beer for immediate depth within the sauce (suppose – Guinness Stew!), searing rooster items entire moderately than chopped for higher color (which equals flavour), and utilizing beef moderately than rooster 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 whenever you pipe the mash. It’s oddly satisfying / amusing.

Substances for Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

In the event you make the error of including up the full butter within the recipe (I’m not going to do the maths for you), only a reminder that we’re making an further good pie right here. 🥰 In the event you actually ~~need~~ want to chop again (physician’s orders are nearly the one acceptable purpose), you should use oil spray as an alternative of butter to sear the rooster 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 choose to make use of rooster thighs moderately than breast, for juicier bites of rooster. Although, that is nonetheless very good made with breast (it gained’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 planet, 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 fantastic to make use of flat in cooking).

See FAQ for gluten-free choice making this with wine as an alternative of beer.
Beef inventory – The opposite liquid for the sauce. Beef moderately than rooster inventory (the standard alternative when cooking with rooster), for a darker brown sauce with deeper flavour.
Bacon – Thick reduce streaky works greatest so you find yourself with good items all through the stew. The finely reduce slices (which are typically the extra artisan type bacon) will work however they’re a bit too delicate for a stew scenario – they curl and break.
Mushrooms – That is the primary vegetable on this pie so we’re utilizing quantity, 500g/1lb in complete. I really like the pops of juiciness they create 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 choice.
Tomato paste – Simply 1 tablespoon thickens the sauce barely and provides a contact of acidity to chop by way of the savouriness of the sauce. It was a late addition, and it’s undoubtedly a extra balanced sauce with it.
Butter – For cooking the mushrooms, rooster and making the roux (every cooked individually on this further good pie recipe 🙂 ). You’ll be able to reduce down if utilizing different greens that don’t take up oil (like carrots) and use oil spray as an alternative for browning the rooster. However you want the butter for the roux (ie the step whenever 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 greatest) and additional butter for drizzling for the topping.

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

The way to make Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

The order of cooking actually issues right here. Sear the rooster 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 if you happen to don’t cut 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 in order for you a actually good rooster pie, you’ve acquired one proper right here. 🙂

1. Filling

Use a big, deep, non stick pan. Mine is 30cm/12″ large – this one (store round, I acquired 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 evenly 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 at the beginning. Mushrooms are sponges for fats!
Golden seared rooster – Season with salt and pepper then sear till properly golden on either side (~2 minutes). The rooster ought to nonetheless be uncooked inside – we end cooking it by way of later. As soon as cool, reduce into giant 2.5cm/1″ items (I do that whereas the sauce is simmering).

💡Searing entire offers higher color and flavour than chopped – each on the rooster and within the sauce (due to 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 an additional 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 lowered 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 should appear to be completely unappetising sludge – have religion! 🙂
Beef inventory – Whereas stirring the sludge within the pan, pour in half the meat inventory, then maintain mixing till the sludge dissolves – the liquid will turn out to be 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 cut back and thicken right into a gravy.

Add rooster – As soon as the sauce has thickened, add the chopped rooster and any collected rooster juices.
Thicken – Simmer for an additional 2 – 3 minutes till the gravy thickens barely however stays saucy. Nonetheless thick or saucy it’s now could be how it will likely be contained in the pie as soon as baked. Purpose thickness – whenever 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 could possibly put it in particular person heatproof pie dishes or ramekins. Clean 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’ll be able to proceed whereas the filling continues 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’ll be able to!
Drizzle and sprinkle – Drizzle the butter throughout, then sprinkle with parmesan.

BAKING

Bake for half-hour till the potatoes are tinged with gold and evenly crispy, and it’s effervescent across the edges. Be aware to self: In case your pan is moderately 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 (if you happen to serve it straight out of the oven, it’s a little bit of sloppy mess!). And if you happen to’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 quantity of pie filling and potato topping collectively when serving. The Duchess Potatoes really holds collectively fairly properly when scooped out.

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

Be trustworthy.

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

Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

Ugh, it was method 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 wished the pie to be a bit of particular. It’s straightforward sufficient to make a fast ‘n straightforward rooster pie the place you cook dinner up every thing in a pan in a single go, throw in a bit of flour, inventory and milk to make the sauce, then put a lid of puff pastry on it.

However, rooster bites don’t brown like stewing beef, and it provides a lot flavour to the meat whenever 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 dimension rooster items have been fantastic, however they only weren’t particular. Once I switched to searing entire rooster thighs to get a beautiful golden sear on them and reducing them up later, that went some approach to clear up the flavour drawback.

Then getting the best 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’d like 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 components – however there’s not. It is determined by 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), rooster vs beef (rooster bites can’t be sluggish cooked so it is advisable 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 best 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 – if you happen to 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, an everyday star tip works greatest!

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

Watch the right way to make it

Hungry for extra? Subscribe to my e-newsletter and observe alongside on Fb, Pinterest and Instagram for the entire newest updates.

Duchess Potato Hen Mushroom Pie

A rooster mushroom pie like no different!