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recipe

This chicken pot pie is the perfect meal for a cosy evening in

Lifestyle
Prep time
15
Cook time
80
Skill level
Medium
Serves
4-6
A home-cooked chicken pie being served onto two plates with a knife and serving spoon
Using an all-butter puff pastry will give you the best results in terms of flavour and texture.(Supplied: Heidi Sze)

This chicken pot pie is one way I summon cosiness with food at this cooler time of year. Made with leeks, carrots, turnips and peas.

It’s creamy and buttery, with a considerable dose of vegetables — just the ticket on a cool night, whether you’re craving comfort yourself or if you wish to serve some up to friends and family.

A variety of ingredients, including chicken, peas, carrot and butter, sitting in individual bowls on a bench.
The pie includes a healthy dose of vegetables.

Tips:

  • The white wine vinegar can be substituted with white wine.
  • You can use either chicken broth or stock, just be sure to taste what you’re using and adjust the seasoning of the pie mix to suit.
  • Using an all-butter puff pastry will give you the best results in terms of flavour and texture.
  • A couple of teaspoons of dijon mustard, or some thyme or parsley are nice additions to the pie mix.
  • You can prepare the pie ahead of time by cooking the chicken and vegetables as instructed, pouring them into the pie dish, and allowing them to cool completely before adding the pastry lid. Store the prepared pie, covered with cling film, in the fridge until you’re ready to bake, then pop it in the preheated oven until the filling is cooked through and the top golden (cover the top with foil if the pastry is done but the filling is not steaming). You can also freeze the unbaked pie, just defrost overnight in the fridge before baking.
  • This pie serves 4 eager or 6 moderate appetites, and goes nicely with a leafy salad with a French-style dijon mustard dressing.
Peas being added to a saucepan of chicken and vegetables on a stovetop.
Once the mixture has thickened, add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan, along with the peas and black pepper.

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Ingredients

Method

  1. 1.Preheat the oven to 180°C if fan-forced, or 200°C if not.
  2. 2.Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide, heavy-based saucepan for which you have a lid. Add the chicken and a pinch of salt, and brown for around 1 minute (depending on the size of your saucepan you may need to do this in two batches). Turn the pieces of chicken over and cook for a further minute (the chicken won’t be cooked through at this stage, just browned). Turn the heat off and remove the chicken pieces from the pan (leaving behind any oil and juices) and place in a large bowl, setting aside.
  3. 3.Turn the heat back to medium and add 30g butter, followed by the leek and a small pinch of salt. Stir well for about 2 minutes to allow the leek to soften, then add 1 tablespoon vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits of chicken (adding more vinegar if necessary).
  4. 4.Add the carrot and turnip, along with another small pinch of salt, and stir well. Place the lid on the pan, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft enough to easily pierce with a knife. If at any point the mix looks dry, you can add a splash of broth or water to the pan (your need to do this will depend on the water content of the vegetables). Once the vegetables are cooked, turn the heat off and add them to the bowl with the chicken.
  5. 5.Turn the heat back to medium and add the remaining 30g butter. Once melted add the flour and cook for around1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add a good splash of broth and use a whisk to incorporate the liquid into the flour/butter mix. Gradually add the remaining broth, as well as the cream, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth and thickened (if you don’t stir for long enough, the mixture won’t thicken adequately and the resulting pie mix will be runny).
  6. 6.Once the mixture has thickened, add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan, along with the peas and some freshly cracked black pepper. Stir, then pour everything into a 20cm pie dish with around 8cm high sides. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
  7. 7.Once the mixture has cooled, use a pastry brush to brush the top edge of the pie dish with a little of the whisked egg. Place the pastry sheet over the top of the pie mixture, carefully stretching it over to the edge of the pie dish so that there is some overhang. Trim the edges, making sure to keep a few centimetres hanging over. Secure the pastry around the pie dish by carefully pressing down around the edges (crimping if you wish). Brush the pastry with a little more of the whisked egg, then cut a couple of small slits in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape when cooking.
  8. 8.Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden. Allow the pie to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into portions and serving.
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