Jessica Ransom
This Hairy Bikers chicken pie is the ultimate crowd pleaser and can be prepared ahead of time.
Unlike Joe Wicks chicken pie, this recipe from Si and Dave involves making your own shortcrust pastry. Although you can use shop bought if you’re short on time. The whole pie can be assembled ahead of time and then simply cook in the oven when you want to serve.
Ingredients
- 1 medium chicken, approx 1.5kg
- 1 onion, peeled
- 6 cloves
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 6–8 peppercorns
For the pastry:
- 450g plain flour
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- 120g butter, cold
- 120g white vegetable fat, cold
- beaten egg, for glazing
For the sauce:
- 250ml whole milk
- 55g butter
- 55g plain flour
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Put the chicken in a large pan. Stud the onion with cloves and add it to the pan with the carrot, bay leaves, stock cube and peppercorns. Cover with cold water, ensuring the chicken is fully submerged and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked. This will take about 45 minutes–1¼ hours, depending on the size of the chicken.
- Meanwhile, make the pastry. Sift the flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Dice the cold butter and vegetable fat and rub them into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in just enough cold water to form a stiff paste. Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface and press to form a smooth ball of dough. Wrap in clingfilm or place in a plastic bag and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- When the chicken is cooked, take the pan off the heat. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate. Put the pan back on the heat and reduce the cooking liquid to about 250ml. Pour it into a jug and leave to cool, then skim off the fat and discard it. Put the stock with the onion – cloves removed – into a blender and blitz. Add milk to make the stock up to 500ml.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut the meat into chunks and discard the skin and bones. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Gradually add the stock and milk, then bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and simmer for a minute or two to cook the flour. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then fold the meat gently into the sauce without breaking up the pieces. Set the mixture aside to cool.
- Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan, Gas 7). Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use it to line a 20–25cm pie plate. Add the cooled filling. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg, roll out the remaining pastry and cover the pie. Trim off any excess and pinch the edges together to seal. Decorate the pie with leaves or stars made from the pastry trimmings, if you like, and brush with beaten egg. Make a hole in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Bake for about 45 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling is piping hot.
Top tips for making the Hairy Bikers chicken pie
If you’re short on time you can make this pie using shop-bought pastry and leftover cooked chicken. It’s a great way to use up leftover meat and veg from a roast. Simply strip all the meat you can from the chicken and roughly chop any leftover carrots, leeks or parsnips from your roast dinner.
Use 250ml good quality chicken stock for the sauce and once thick, stir in the chicken and veggies. For more tips, continue reading below.
Is chicken breast or thigh best for pie?
This recipe uses the meat from a whole chicken but you can use only chicken thighs or breast if you prefer. Chicken breast is the leanest part of the chicken but the thighs are a more affordable cut and are less likely to dry out during cooking.
What should you avoid when shaping pastry?
When you make pastry try not to add too much liquid as it will become tough. It’s also important not to work the pastry too much before rolling as this will also make it tough. You don’t want to knead it, you just want the ingredients to be bound together.
Once the dough has come together, press it into a thin disc and then chill for at least 30 minutes. Pressing it into a disc makes it easier when you come to roll it out.
How to decorate a chicken pie?
If you have scraps of pastry leftover once you’ve rolled the base and lid of the pie, you can use cutters to make decorations for the pie. Leaves are a popular choice but you could also cut out letters and write a special message on the pie instead. Secure the decorations to the lid using some beaten egg or a little milk. Glaze before baking.
You might also like the Hairy Bikers chicken and mushroom pie or we have our own chicken and mushroom pie recipe too. If you’re fed up with chicken try the Hairy Bikers steak and ale pie instead.
