Sophie Conran’s chicken pie with puff pastry is made using a whole chicken and homemade stock but there are some easy substitutions you can make if you’re short on time.
This recipe is a little more indulgent than Joe Wicks chicken pie but it’s great for when you’re craving something hearty and comforting. You can cook the chicken and make the stock the day before but you could also make the pie using leftover cooked meat and some quality, shop bought fresh stock.
Ingredients
- 1.6kg (3½lb) whole chicken
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 1 stick of celery, sliced
- Few sprigs of parsley
- 25g (1oz) of butter
- 3tbsp plain flour
- 250g (8oz) baby button mushrooms, halved
- 3tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 (300g) pack ready-made puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Place the chicken in a large pot with the onion, carrot, celery and parsley and cover with about 1.5ltr/3pts water. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer it for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.
- Lift the chicken from the pan, cool slightly, then use a knife and fork to remove all the meat from the bones and skin. Reserve the meat and discard the bones and skin. Drain the stock and discard the vegetables.
- Return the stock to the heat and boil rapidly for 20 minutes or until it is about a third of its original volume. Measure the stock - you should have about 600ml (1pt). This can all be done the previous day if you prefer.
- Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan, Gas 7). Gently melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and let it bubble for a couple minutes. Pour in your stock and bring to the boil, whisking all the time with a balloon whisk until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat, stir in the mushrooms and leave to gently simmer for 4 minutes. Season to taste. Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks and stir into the sauce with the chopped parsley.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Place a 1.4ltr/2½pt oval pie dish in the centre of the pastry, roughly cut around it to get your pie lid. Cut strips from the remaining pastry and use to line the edges of the dish. Secure them with a little water and then press down to stick.
- Spoon the chicken filling into the dish. Brush the pastry edges with water then lay the pastry lid on top.
- Trim the edges, then pinch them together to seal. Use any scraps of pastry to make decorations for the top, attaching them with water. Brush the top of the chicken pie all over with beaten egg. Make a steam hole in the centre of the pie. Place on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
- Serve your hot chicken pie with mashed potatoes and buttered carrots, or your choice of sides.
Top tips for making chicken pie with puff pastry
Sophie says: ‘Restrain yourself when it comes to decorating the top of your pie, as over-decorating can make the lid soggy because of the double thickness (keep an eye on your kids here as they love the decorating bit but sometimes get carried away). Where possible, food writer Jessica Ransom recommends buying an all butter puff pastry for the best flavour and colour.
Continue reading for even more tips and tricks.
How to judge if my pie dish is big enough?
Most pie dishes will have the volume on the bottom. Don’t worry if yours doesn’t. Sophie says: ‘You can measure it using a measuring jug. Do this by pouring water from the jug into the dish and counting up, not the other way round! It’s important to fill your pie dish to the top, so if need be, choose something a little too small rather than too big. If you have leftover filling you can always freeze it and use it for your next pie.’
How to add more mushroom flavour to my pie?
You could add a few chopped, dried mushrooms to your stock to intensify the mushroom flavour in your pie. You could also use a mix of chestnut and baby button mushrooms. Chestnut mushrooms have a richer flavour with subtle nutty notes.
What can I use instead of puff pastry for pie?
Swap to shortcrust pastry if you prefer or for a lighter finish, scrunch up a few sheets of filo pastry instead. Brush the filo with melted butter or a little olive oil instead of the egg wash and bake until golden and crisp.
Sophie recommends using a 1.4 litre pie dish such as this one from Premier Housewares. If you already have a few pie dishes but don’t have one that’s exactly 1.4 litres, it’s best to use a smaller dish rather than bigger.
For more comforting classics, check out our chicken and leek pie or our chicken casserole pot pie. You might also like this turkey and mushroom pie.
