Name: Chicken pie
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 (1.8kg) chicken, cut into 8 pieces; 6 thyme sprigs; 2 fresh bay leaves; 100 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 carrots, finely chopped; 100 gm (2/3 cup) plain flour; 1/4 cup each finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and tarragon; 1 tbsp finely chopped lovage or celery leaves; For brushing: eggwash; To serve: Dijon mustard; Cornmeal pastry; 690 gm plain flour; 90 gm polenta; 250 gm butter, finely chopped

Chicken pie

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chicken pie.

Serves 6 - 8

Prep

40M

Cook

Total

2H 40M

This pie uses a whole chicken, and cooking it produces a fine broth that forms the sauce. There will be leftover that you can freeze for future soups.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 (1.8kg) chicken, cut into 8 pieces

6 thyme sprigs

2 fresh bay leaves

100 gm butter, coarsely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100 gm (2/3 cup) plain flour

1/4 cup each finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and tarragon

1 tbsp finely chopped lovage or celery leaves

For brushing: eggwash

To serve: Dijon mustard

Cornmeal pastry

690 gm plain flour

90 gm polenta

250 gm butter, finely chopped

Method

Main

1.Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add chicken and brown all over (4-5 minutes). Add thyme, bay leaves and 2 litres cold water, bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is tender (40-45 minutes). Drain liquid into a bowl and reserve 500ml (freeze remainder for another use.). Cool chicken, then coarsely shred flesh (discard skin, bones and sinew) and refrigerate until required.

2.Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and carrot, sauté until tender (8-10 minutes), then add flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add reserved cooking liquid a little at a time, whisking to combine, then stir continuously until mixture boils and thickens (3-4 minutes). Add shredded chicken, stir to combine, then add herbs, stir and season to taste. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until required.

3.For cornmeal pastry, combine flour and polenta in a bowl, and rub in butter until just combined with streaks of butter still visible. Make a well in the centre, add 350ml cold water and mix to incorporate, then knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (at least 1 hour).

4.Preheat oven to 180C. Roll out two-thirds of pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 5mm-thick round and line a 20cm-diameter cake tin, allowing edges to overhang a little. Roll out remaining dough to a 5mm-thick round large enough to fit on top of cake tin and set aside.

5.Spoon filling into lined cake tin, then fold edges inward and place pastry lid on top, pressing to seal. Cut a small cross in the middle of the pie, brush top with eggwash and bake until golden brown (1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes). Cool slightly before turning out onto a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature with Dijon mustard on the side.