Chicken & mushroom Hotpot

Instructions

1- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

2- Put the butter in a medium-size saucepan and place over a medium heat.

3- Add the onion and leave to cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.

4- Add the mushrooms to the saucepan with the onions.

5- Once the onion and mushrooms are almost cooked, stir in the flour – this will make a thick paste called a roux.

6- If you are using a stock cube, crumble the cube into the roux now and stir well.

7- Put the roux over a low heat and stir continuously for 2 mins – this will cook the flour and stop the sauce from having a floury taste.

8- Take the roux off the heat.

9- Slowly add the fresh stock, if using, or pour in 500ml water if you’ve used a stock cube, stirring all the time.

10- Once all the liquid has been added, season with pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and mustard powder.

11- Put the saucepan back onto a medium heat and slowly bring it to the boil, stirring all the time.

12- Once the sauce has thickened, place on a very low heat.

13- Add the cooked chicken and vegetables to the sauce and stir well.

14- Grease a medium-size ovenproof pie dish with a little butter and pour in the chicken and mushroom filling.

15- Carefully lay the potatoes on top of the hot-pot filling, overlapping them slightly, almost like a pie top.

16- Brush the potatoes with a little melted butter and cook in the oven for about 35 mins.

17- The hot-pot is ready once the potatoes are cooked and golden brown.