Chicken & mushroom Hotpot

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

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

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

Add the mushrooms to the saucepan with the onions.

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

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

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.

Take the roux off the heat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brush the potatoes with a little melted butter and cook in the oven for about 35 mins. The hot-pot is ready once the potatoes are cooked and golden brown.