Pantry Pie Food

PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Rub the lard and butter into the flour with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined. Add the beaten egg and 100ml ice-cold water and mix until you have a soft dough. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 1 hr, or until needed.
• Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces and roll out into rounds on a lightly floured surface. Use six of the rounds to line the bottoms of six individual pie dishes, leaving an overhang. Fill the pies with the mixture of your choice, brush the rims with some of the egg yolk, top with the remaining pastry rounds, then trim and crimp the edges. Decorate with the trimmings, if you like. Glaze with more egg yolk, or as indicated in the filling recipe, and chill until you're ready to cook.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Put the pies on the hot tray and bake for 30-35 mins until golden. Leave to rest as directed, then serve in the dishes or turn out onto plates.

CHICKEN PAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and salt. Cook, stirring, until onions start to soften, and the edges begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken, and cook, stirring, until the chicken loses its pink color, and starts to brown in spots, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Sprinkle flour over top, then cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Stir in carrots, celery, black pepper, and cayenne.
• Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it's as thick as you want, 5 to 10 minutes. For a thick, sticky filling once baked, reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. For a saucier filling, don't reduce the mixture at all.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the peas and thyme. Taste for seasoning and reserve until needed.
• Roll out pie or pastry dough to form a circle about 14 inches in diameter.
• Fold over 1/2 inch of dough all the way around, and then crimp the edge to make a decorative scalloped design. Cut or punch out a 1-inch hole in the center of the dough.
• Place the pan on top of a sheet pan in case filling bubbles over in the oven. Carefully place the dough over the filling, and adjust until it's centered. Press the crust lightly into the filling. Brush the top with an egg wash if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is browned and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.