Chicken & Mushroom Hotpot

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 tbspbutter, for sauce
• 1onion, chopped
• 3 1/2 ozmushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cupall-purpose flour
• 1chicken bouillon cube, crumbled into the roux; use 500ml water as the liquid
• nutmeg
• mustard powder
• black pepper, to taste
• 9 ozchicken, cooked and shredded
• 2 handfulsweet corn
• 2potatoes, large, thinly sliced
• butter, small knob, for greasing and brushing the potato topping

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 400°F/350°F fan/gas 6.

2. 2

   Melt 50g butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and cook until both are almost softened.

3. 3

   Stir in the flour to form a thick paste (roux). Crumble in the bouillon cube and stir well. Cook the roux over low heat, stirring continuously for 2 minutes to cook out the floury taste.

4. 4

   Remove from the heat. Gradually add 500ml of water, a little at a time, stirring constantly to keep the sauce smooth. Season with black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and mustard powder.

5. 5

   Return to medium heat and bring slowly to a boil, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Reduce to very low heat. Stir in the cooked chicken and sweet corn.

6. 6

   Grease a medium ovenproof dish with butter and pour in the filling. Lay the potato slices on top in overlapping layers, like a pie crust.

7. 7

   Brush the potato slices with melted butter and bake for about 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and golden brown.