These pies are super, full-flavoured and bursting to get out from under the pastry.

I use cooking chorizo and chicken thighs, as they have the best flavour and stay moist. I make them in 12x8.5cm cast-iron cocottes.

Serves 4
* 15g unsalted butter, plus more for the dishes
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 500g chicken (preferably thigh meat), diced
* 200g cooking chorizo, sliced
* 2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
* 400g can tomatoes
* 2 tsp Spanish paprika
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
* 250g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
* 1 egg, beaten

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan or saucepan over a medium heat, and sauté the chicken until it starts to brown. Remove the chicken and sauté the chorizo for a few minutes until it starts to release oil, then add the garlic and chilli for a minute or so, stirring to ensure that it doesn't burn.

Add the tomatoes and paprika, return the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.

Cut lids from the pastry to fit each pie dish, using a dish as a guide. Butter each pie dish and divide the pie filling between each. Add the pastry lids, brush with the egg and cook for 20 minutes or so, or until they are delightfully crisp and brown.

Recipe from Comfort and Spice by Niamh Shields (£14.99, Quadrille)