The simple things in life are the best and you know what? I think they are right, because this chicken pie is one of those simple classics that just warms the cockles of your heart, especially on a blowy, wet October day.
If you have chicken that is already cooked, and a store bought, pre-rolled sheet of puff pastry, then so much the better as this speeds things along, and speed is the name of the game for this dish!
You will need.....feeds 4 people
150 g peeled carrots...diced
1 small onion, peeled & diced
a stalk of leek.....about 5 inches long, cut into slices about 1/2 cm thick
1 stalk of celery sliced thinly
50g butter
50 g plain flour
300 mls chicken stock...made from a stock cube is fine!
200 mls milk
2 large pre-cooked chicken breasts or approx 350 - 400g of chicken
100-150 mls cream or creme fraiche
sea salt
black pepper
1 sheet of ready to use puff pastry
1 small egg beaten
you will also need a large and deep oven proof dish or individual dishes to cook your pie in
How to.....
- prepare all the vegetables and set aside
- cut the chicken into nice chunky pieces
- unroll the sheet of pastry, turn it upside down onto a clean surface and keeping it covered with the paper it came rolled in, allow it come to room temperature while you are making your sauce
- turn on your oven to heat....200oC
- combine the chicken stock and milk then heat gently in a saucepan but do not allow to boil..milk has a nasty habit of jumping out of the saucepan when it gets hot!
- melt the butter in a thick bottomed pan and gently cook the vegetables a little
- cover the pan with a lid and steam the veg gently until tender
- stir in the flour to the buttery vegetables and mix well until the flour has soaked up all the butter and it gains a sort of sandy texture
- begin to add the warmed milky stock liquid to the flour mixture a little at a time, you can mix it in using a wooden spoon / rubber spatula....I know we are in a hurry here but don't be tempted to dump all the liquid in at once thinking that it will be quicker.....adding a little liquid at a time helps prevent lumps forming and the last thing we like is floury lumps!
- as the sauce begins to thicken, continue to add the remaining liquid stirring well all the time to achieve a smooth sauce
- add the cream then the cooked chicken pieces to your sauce, stir well and continue cooking gently for approx 5 minutes to allow the chicken to heat through
- taste and add some salt and pepper if you think it needs it
- pour your pie filling into your dish(es), top immediately with your puff pastry
- brush with the pastry top with beaten egg and get your pie in the oven as quickly as you can! don't hang around as hot sauce and puff pastry in contact together too long without cooking can be disastrous.....you could always allow the chicken filling to cool a little, but hey, I'm in a hurry here!
This is a complete meal all on it's own so there's no need to cook any potatoes or extra vegetables. When your pie is all puffed up and the pastry is golden brown you remove it from the oven and dig in straight away! I prefer to do these pies in individual dishes...saves a lot of messing about when it comes time to serve up.
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