Home comforts: The Really Good British Cookbook

What do you cook for the people you love? This was the question posed to one hundred of Great Britain's top chefs and foodies for a new tome that provides a comprehensive and delicious snapshot of the country's contemporary culinary scene.

Edited by MasterChef pundit William Sitwell, its contributor list runs from home cooks and enthusiasts to some of the biggest names in the business, from Nigella Lawson, James Martin, Nadiya Hussain and Jamie Oliver to titans of the capital's dining scene such as Skye Gyngell, Mark Hix, Jose Pizarro and Yotam Ottolenghi. In the spirit of its celebration of British fare in all its guises and the joy of sharing a plateful around the dinner table, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards The Trussell Trust, the UK's largest provider of food banks.

Most of all, it provides an intriguing look at the diversity of influences and ingredients that make up the melting pot that is modern British food. Cook up a Mexican-inspired feast with Thomasina Miers' pork pibil and ­– to finish – a dark chocolate, chilli caramel and macadamia tart, or get a taste of Italy with Pulpo's Russell Norman and his simple and tempting burrata served with lentils and basil oil. Here, Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar of Benares in Mayfair and Sindhu in Marlow shares his homely recipe for a chicken tikka masala pie, blending two of the nation's firm favourites.

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Chicken Tikka Masala Pie

Serves: 4-6Preparation time: 45 mins plus resting/marinatingCooking time: 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients

For the first marinade

1 clove garlic, peeled1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled1 tsp chilli powderJuice of ½ lemon1kg boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

For the second marinade

250g Greek-style yoghurt1 tsp garam masala1 tsp ground coriander50ml vegetable oil½ tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp chilli powder½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves2 tsp gram flour

For brushing

Small knob of butter, melted2 tsp lime juice1 tsp chaat masala or garam masala

For the pastry

250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting1 tsp sea salt250g cold, unsalted butter

For the masala

1 small onion, peeled10 cloves garlic, peeledVegetable oil6cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled3 level tsp ground coriander3 level tsp chilli powder3 level tsp turmeric3 level tsp garam masala2 large bunches fresh coriander, leaves picked3 ripe tomatoes

Method

1. For the first marinade, finely grate the garlic and ginger and place in a bowl. Add the chilli powder, lemon juice and chicken, then set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. For the second marinade, add all of the ingredients to the bowl containing the chicken, mix together well and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a further 4-6 hours.

3. Pre-heat the barbecue to hot, or the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Skewer the marinated chicken pieces and cook over the barbecue or in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Brush with a mixture of butter, lime juice and chaat masala or garam masala and set aside.

4. For the pastry, sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Cube the butter, then rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add up to 50 ml (1½ oz) cold water, and slowly and gently mix into a dough until just combined but not wet. Dust the dough with flour, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. Turn the oven down to 160°C/325°F/gas 3. For the masala, chop the onion and garlic, then add with a little vegetable oil to a pan over a medium heat and saute for 5 minutes until soft. Finely grate the ginger into the pan and cook for 2 minutes until golden.

6. Stir through the spices, then chop the coriander and tomatoes and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Stir for a couple more minutes until everything is cooked through. Toss the chicken in the masala.

7. Roll out the pastry to just under ½ cm (¼ in) thick. Line the base of a pie dish (roughly 20 cm x 20 cm x 6 cm/ 8 in x 8 in x 2½ in) with pastry, reserving some for the lid. Add the chicken filling to the dish. Lay the second piece of pastry on top, seal the edges, trim off any excess and poke a small hole in the top. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot.

The Really Quite Good British Cookbook edited by William Sitwell (Nourish, £25); nourishbooks.com