Chicken Casserole with Potato Cobbler

This is brilliant and not just a load of old cobblers. A cobbler is a sort of pie, but instead of having a pastry top it’s covered with ‘cobbles’ made from a scone-like mixture. They’re really easy to prepare and our potato version is a perfect match for this tasty chicken and mushroom filling.

Chicken Casserole with Potato Cobbler

Info

Serves
Serves 4
Prep time
About 15 minutes
Cooking time
1 - 1.15 hours

Ingredients

For the chicken casserole

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into strips
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
  • 150g button mushrooms, wiped and quartered
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 600ml chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 375g carrots, sliced
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 leeks, sliced
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cobbler Topping

  • 350g floury potatoes, such as King Edwards or Maris Pipers
  • 250g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 100g cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 125ml whole milk, plus extra for brushing

Method

  1. First, make the mash for the cobbler topping. Peel the potatoes and cook them until tender, then drain, mash and leave them to cool.

  2. Cut each chicken thigh into 4 pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken until lightly browned all over. It’s best to do this in a couple of batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Put the browned chicken in a flameproof casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

  3. Put the bacon, onions, and celery in the frying pan and fry for 4 or 5 minutes until lightly browned, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute. Tip everything into the casserole dish with the chicken, then stir in the tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, thyme, and carrots. Bring everything to a simmer on the hob, then cover the dish loosely with a lid and put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

  4. While the chicken is cooking, finish making the topping. Put the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 250g of mash – you can use up any leftovers in another recipe – and rub it together with the butter and flour. Stir in the milk and mix to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll it into a thick sausage, about 24cm long. Cut this into 12 rounds, each about 2cm thick.

  5. Take the chicken out of the oven and check the seasoning, adding more if needed. Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water and stir this into the casserole, then add the leeks.

  6. Top the chicken with the potato ‘cobbles’, overlapping them slightly, so they almost cover the filling. Brush them with milk to glaze and season with salt and pepper. Put the dish back in the oven without the lid for another 30 minutes, or until the cobbler topping is well-risen and golden brown. Serve immediately.