Known as a “Tourte”, this homemade French Chicken and Mushroom Pie is a comfort food classic through and through. It features two flaky sheets of puff pastry (homemade or store bought), encasing a creamy filling of mushrooms, bacon and chicken breast pieces, flavored with thyme and Dijon mustard. This is a wonderfully hearty dish, perfect for autumn or winter.
What is a French “Tourte” Exactly?
In France, the term “Tourte” is commonly used to designate a savory two-crusted pie. A Tourte usually includes a filling of meat and/or vegetables, encased between two layers of pastry – either puff pastry or pastry dough.
Tourte is a very popular winter dish in France, with countless regional variations. Some of its most famous ones include the “Bisteu” from Northern France (filled with potatoes slices and bacon, a recipe you can find in my cookbook), the “Tourte Lorraine” (filled with white-wine marinated ground pork and veal), or the “Tourte Niçoise’, a sweet variation filled with Swiss chard and pine nuts and topped with icing sugar to serve as a dessert.
This French Chicken and Mushroom Pie isn’t affiliated to a particular region, but is very popular all throughout France, especially in the Fall and early Winter. Unlike typical American or British chicken pot pies that usually include carrots, celery and peas, the French version traditionally features mushrooms in a creamy sauce, flavored with Dijon mustard and herbs.
This recipe is a staple in our household – it is always a hit!
The Recipe
The flaky buttery crust, the creamy sauce, the tender chunks of chicken, the salty bacon, the flavorful mushrooms… This French Chicken And Mushroom Pie (Tourte) truly is French comfort food at its best!
And what I really love about this recipe is that you can use a few shortcuts, if you want. You can cook chicken breasts for the occasion or just use leftover roast chicken (or even turkey) if you have some. You can make your puff pastry from scratch or use a ready-made one for convenience (which I often do).
While this recipe features multiple steps, the instructions are straightforward and easy to complete. Before diving into it, I wanted to give you answers to some of the most common questions you may ask about this recipe.
Common Questions
What chicken pieces can I use?
For convenience, I think using boneless, skinless chicken breasts is ideal. A satisfying chicken pot pie should yield a chunky filling. So using breasts, I suggest you cut the chicken in big chunks that are at least 1-1.5 inch (2.5-3.5cm) in size. And because they will bake further in the creamy sauce, they will remain tender.
Can I substitute the chicken breasts?
Yes, this pie can also be an excellent way to repurpose leftover cooked chicken (or even turkey!). So, if you made a roasted chicken yesterday, you could use the leftover meat. To do so, use the exact same quantity of chicken meat (deboned, skinned: 510g), cube it and simply skip step 1 and 3 in the recipe – since your chicken will be already cooked.
Can I use a store-bought puff pastry crust?
Yes, absolutely. For convenience and to save time, I honestly often rely onstore-bought puff pastry. When shopping for the puff pastry, make sure to get a good quality double pastry (or two packets of single sheets). If frozen, thaw according to package instructions before cooking and keep the packets in the fridge until ready to cook.
If you’re up for making a from-scratch puff pastry, I recommend the rough puff pastry recipe fromClotilde Dusoulier. It is easy to make, uses lots of butter (in true French fashion) and turns out great.
What dish is best for this pie?
A 9” (23cm) diameter pie dish is best for making this recipe. You can also use a low-sided cast iron skillet or even a 9″ round cake pan.
How to prevent the bottom of the crust from getting soggy?
Not having a soggy crust mostly depends on the quality of your filling: it shouldn’t be soupy. When making your filling, aim for a thick, creamy texture – not liquidy. Coming off the stove, right before filling the crust, the filling should be fairly “tight”.
How to prevent the tourte from browning too quickly?
After 20-30 minutes of baking, if you think the top of your tourte is browning too quickly, place a sheet of foil loosely over the top. The pie will continue to bake but this will prevent the top from over-browning.
How long can you keep this Chicken And Mushroom Pie?
Any leftovers? You can keep the tourte in the fridge or in the freezer.
- Keep it in the fridge: let the tourte cool completely before placing it in an airtight container or covering it tightly with foil. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the tourte in the oven, at 350°F (180°C). I don’t recommend re-heating it in the microwave as the crust will become soggy.
- To freeze: let the tourte cool completely before placing it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (no need to thaw completely). Bake covered with foil for 35-40 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
Cooking notes and substitutions:
- Cremini mushroomsare traditionally used for making this recipe, but you can opt for other seasonal mushrooms if you like, such as chanterelles.
- Puff pastry warms up quickly and can get sticky, so keep each sheet rolled in the fridge up until you need it.Act fastwhen rolling it out and transferring it into the dish.
I hope you’ll love this Chicken And Mushroom Pieas much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
More Chicken recipes you may like:
- Classic French Coq Au Vin Rouge
- French Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti)
- French Tarragon Chicken
- Simple Chicken Marengo with Mushrooms
- Chicken Chasseur (Classic French Hunter’s Chicken)
- Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Onion
- Chicken Breasts in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
French Chicken And Mushroom Pie (Tourte)
Print Recipe
Serves: 8 Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 4.7/5
( 12 voted )
Ingredients
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 170g each)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, divided
200g bacon (4 stripes/4 ounces), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 lbs (450g) mushrooms (cremini and/or various types), sliced
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
6 tbsp (50g) plain/all-purpose flour
3/4 cup + 1tbsp (195ml) chicken stock (ideally, low sodium)
3/4 cup + 1tbsp (195ml) milk (2% minimum)
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
2 (13-oz [370-g]) packets ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp (15ml) milk
Instructions
Step 1 – 1 hour prior to cooking, rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and pat-dry thoroughly with paper towel. Cut them into 1-1.5 inch (2.5-3.5cm) cubes and season with salt and pepper. Set aside, at room temperature.
Step 2 - On the stove top over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and lightly crisp. Set aside, leaving the fat drippings in the pan.
Step 3 – Add the chicken cubes to the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes until mostly cooked. Set aside onto a plate and cover with foil.
Step 4 – Add one tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with black pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked and lightly browned. Set aside onto a plate.
Step 5 - Add one last tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions and garlic. Start pouring in the chicken stock very slowly, in small additions. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens – make sure there are no lumps left before you start pouring in more stock. Let the liquid simmer for a few seconds to thicken further.
Step 6 – Start pouring in the milk very slowly, in small additions. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency. Stir in the Dijon mustard and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, with salt and pepper.
Step 7 – Turn the heat to low and add the bacon bits, mushrooms, and chicken pieces to the cream. Stir to coat evenly. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 410˚F (210˚C) with a rack in the middle.
Step 8 - Line a deep 9-inch (23cm) pie dish with parchment paper. Unroll the first sheet of pastry and place it on the bottom. Don’t worry about the edges that hang over the dish. Poke the sheet all over with a fork. Pour the chicken filling into the dish and spread it out.
Step 9 - Unroll the second sheet of pastry and place it over the top of the filling. Press the edges together tightly to seal – removing any trapped air as you do so. Roll up the hanging pastry sheet edges together towards the center to create a thick, well-bound outer rim.
Whisk together the milk and the egg yolk, and brush it atop the pie. With the tip of a sharp knife, score a 1-inch (2.5cm) circle in the center of the pastry lid, for the steam to escape from while baking.
Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350˚F (180˚C) and bake for another 20 minutes, until the top looks crisp and golden.
Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Audrey
Bonjour ! I'm Audrey Le Goff, a French cookery writer, photographer, creator of the blog Pardon your French, and cookbook author of Rustic French Cooking Made Easy.
