You can’t get any more British than a chicken pie, especially one that is packed with leeks, chicken and bacon. This hearty recipe celebrates everything good about autumn.
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Ingredients
For the pastry
- 250g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 1 tsp salt
- 125g unsalted butter
- 1 medium free-range egg
- ½ tbsp ice cold water
For the pastry
- 250g British free-range smoked bacon, roughly chopped (see tip)
- 30g unsalted butter
- 200g shallots, thinly sliced
- 400g leeks (about 4), sliced
- 6 free-range skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced into 3 pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3½ tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 200ml dry cider
- 250ml fresh chicken stock
- 150g full fat crème fraîche
- Squeeze lemon juice
- ½ small bunch fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 medium free-range egg, beaten, to glaze
- Greens such as kale to serve
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Method
- For the pastry, whizz the flour, salt and butter in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and ½ tbsp water, then pulse until the pastry comes together. You may need a little more water if the dough looks too dry and floury.
- Tip the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together lightly with your hands. Shape into a fat disc, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan or deep saucepan over a high heat. Add the bacon and fry, stirring regularly, for 5-10 minutes until golden.
- Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen paper. Add the butter, turn the heat to medium-high, add the shallots and leeks, then gently fry for 5-10 minutes until they start to soften. Add the chicken pieces and fry for 2 minutes more. Add the garlic and flour, then fry for a few more minutes.
- Return the bacon to the pan, turn up the heat slightly and add the mustard, cider and stock. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add the crème fraîche, lemon and tarragon, then season. Leave to cool. (See Make Ahead.)
- Spoon the filling into a 1.5 litre pie dish. On a flour-dusted work surface, roll out the pastry until it’s the thickness of a £1 coin. Trim a few long thin strips off the pastry, then press them around the lip of the pastry dish – it doesn’t need to be perfect and it will help if you wet the rim lightly first.
- Lightly brush the pastry strips with a little beaten egg. Roll up the pastry loosely onto the rolling pin, then unravel over the pie. Carefully trim the excess pastry from the dish then, using either a fork or your fingers, crimp the edges neatly. Generously and evenly glaze the pastry with beaten egg, then chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
- Transfer the pie to the centre of the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through. Serve with fresh greens.
Nutrition
- 722kcals Calories
- 43.5g (24.3g saturated) Fat
- 34.2g Protein
- 43.9g (4.5g sugars) Carbs
- 4.8g Fibre
- 2.6g Salt
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