大象传媒

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. Dust the chicken strips with one tablespoon of the smoked paprika and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan until smoking. Add the chicken and fry quickly, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

4. Melt the butter in the same pan and fry the lardons for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and slightly golden.

5. Add the sliced mushrooms and the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes to soften.

6. Add the brandy and carefully set alight. Be careful with the flames. (Don't worry if the brandy doesn't flame, cooking will remove the alcohol.)

7. Add the stock, bring to the boil and cook to reduce the liquid volume by half.

8. Add the soured cream and the renmaining one tablespoon of paprika. Stir well and simmer to reduce the sauce to the consistency of thick double cream.

9. Place the chicken back into the pan to warm through.

10. Divide the chicken mixture between four individual ovenproof pie dishes.

11. Brush some beaten egg around the top outside edges of the pie dishes, then press the pastry pieces onto the top of the dishes. Brush with generous amounts of the beaten egg.

12. Cut out a little vent in each pastry top to allow steam to escape.

13. Transfer to the oven to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the pie tops are crisp and golden.

14. To serve, remove the pie dishes from the oven and allow to cool slightly before placing onto plates. Serve with bowls of pickled red cabbage or beetroot.