Ingredients

Serves 6

  • 225-350g cooked turkey cut into cubes
  • Mushroom a la Créme x 2
  • Potato and Fresh Herb Mash

Fresh Herb and Potato Mash

Serves 4

  • 900g unpeeled potatoes, preferably Golden Wonders or Kerr's Pinks
  • 300ml creamy milk
  • 1 whole egg
  • 25-50g butter
  • 4 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs e.g. parsley, chives, tarragon, lemon balm

Mushroom a la Crème

Serves 4

  • 15-25g butter
  • 75g onion, finely chopped
  • 225g mushrooms, sliced
  • 110ml cream
  • 1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped chives (optional)
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • roux (see recipe)

Roux

  • 110g butter
  • 110g flour, plain or gluten free

Method

  1. First make the mushroom a la créme. Stir in the pieces of turkey. Taste and correct seasoning. Add a little chicken stock or milk if too rich or a little thick.
  2. Fill mixture into pie dishes. Pipe a layer of potato and fresh herb mash on top. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Reheat for 15 – 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Flash under a preheated grill if necessary.
  3. Serve immediately.

Fresh Herb and Potato Mash

  1. Scrub the potatoes well. Put them into a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. When the potatoes are about half cooked, 15 minutes approx. for 'old' potatoes, strain off two-thirds of the water, replace the lid on the saucepan, put on to a gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are cooked.
  2. Peel immediately by just pulling off the skins, so you have as little waste as possible, mash while hot (see below). (If you have a large quantity, put the potatoes into the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the spade).
  3. While the potatoes are being peeled, bring the milk to the boil. Add the egg into the hot mashed potatoes and add enough boiling creamy milk to mix to a soft light consistency suitable for piping, add the freshly chopped herbs and then beat in the butter, the amount depending on how rich you like your potatoes. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Note: If the potatoes are not peeled and mashed while hot and if the boiling milk is not added immediately, the potato will be lumpy and gluey.

Mushroom a la Crème

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams. Add the chopped onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes or until quite soft but not coloured.
  2. Meanwhile cook the sliced mushrooms in a little butter, in a hot frying pan in batches if necessary. Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice.
  3. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the saucepan, then add the cream and allow to bubble for a few minutes and thicken to a light coating consistency.
  4. Taste and correct the seasoning and add parsley and chives if used.

Roux

  1. Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Use as required. Roux can be stored in a cool place and used as required or it can be made up on the spot if preferred. It will keep at least a fortnight in a refrigerator.