The Chicken Pie Recipe

[SteveK]

So as you may already know my chicken pie came out great, it's all finished now (and am doing another one tomorrow because it was so good) so thought I would post up the recipe. It's very simple.

 

First make the pastry.

A cup and a half of general purpose flour. Add a pinch of salt. Mix it up then add in your fat - best is butter, worst is palm oil Samson but I use a half and half mixture because butter is expensive here. You want to add in an amount of butter/fat about equivalent to about half a cigarette packet, it will be easier if you chop it into chunks before adding.

Work and squeeze the butter/palm oil in your fingertips in the flour. Keep going until the flour takes on an almost breadcrumb-like consistency, this takes 5-10 minutes to do properly.

Add in a tiny amount of ice cold water and keep working it until it starts to form a dough. Add more water if you need to but you don't need much, keep working it until you have a firm ball of dough.

Cover and put in the fridge whilst you do the rest.

 

Chop one large onion finely and fry in a tablespoon of oil until softened. Add a pint or a bit more of water and throw in two Knorr chicken stock cubes, a few pinches of white and black pepper, and a good teaspoon of dried thyme and a minced garlic clove. If you want be fancy, can add a good glug of white wine to the fried onions, let it reduce then chuck in a small knob of butter before adding the water. Whilst it is coming to the boil, peel and chop one large carrot, two medium white potatoes, and two chicken breasts.

 

Once the stock is boiling, add in the carrots and potatoes. Wait 10 minutes then chuck in two diced chicken breasts. Keep on a rolling boil for another 10 minutes.

 

At this point - gauge the consistency of the broth. It should have thickened considerably. If it has, transfer the mixture to your pie dish or metal bowl. If it is still very liquid, drain it off and boil it hard for 5 minutes in a pan, and add a teaspoon or two of flour through a strainer to thicken it, before returning it to your meat and vegetables. You should also be tasting the gravy at this point. If it's too salty, then drain some off and add a little water. If it is tasteless, add another half stock cube, a splash of water, a pinch of pepper and thyme, and boil for a bit longer. Some people like thin, soup-like gravy, some like it thick and sticky so you can use some artistic license here.

 

Once the meat, vegetables and gravy are cooked and to the right consistency, turn off the gas and get your pastry out of the fridge. Roll it out flat until it is wide enough to cover your dish. Pastry dough shouldn't stick so no need to flour your surface. It can be as thin or as thick as you prefer. Carefully place the pastry over the meat and vegetables in your cooking receptacle.

 

Brush the pastry surface with a beaten egg. You can do this with your fingers (I do). Cut a cross in the middle to allow steam to escape. Put in the oven at 180-200 degrees C for 20-35 minutes, keeping an eye on it.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by SteveK

[SteveK]

I forgot to mention that this can be eaten on it's own (how I eat it), or with mashed potatoes, chips (french fries to you yankees), or vegetables and salad for those of you trying to eke out a few extra years.

[emptypockets]

You'll make someone a great wife someday.

 

Does sound nice though.

Edited February 4, 2020 by emptypockets