Spring Chicken Pie Food

SPRING CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
• Halve the lemons, quarter the Jersey Royals, then pick and finely chop the tarragon and parsley.
• Put the chicken, unpeeled garlic cloves, lemon and potatoes in a large baking tray, drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, then toss together.
• Pop in the oven for 45 minutes, or until golden, crispy and cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan until bubbling. Add the flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to form a paste, then slowly pour in the stock, whisking until thickened. Add the mustard, then season.
• Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and reserve the skin and discard any gristle. Shred the meat, discarding the bones.
• Squeeze the garlic from its skins back into the roasting tray and squeeze over all the juice from the lemons and toss well.
• Pour over the thickened stock and add the herbs and watercress. Check the seasoning, then finely chop the chicken skins and sprinkle over the filling.
• Lay out sheets of filo on a clean surface and cut each one in half. Lightly scrunch up and place on top of the pie filling, brushing with a little oil.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until crispy and golden, then serve with a crisp green salad.

HERBY SPRING CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large, shallow casserole dish on a medium heat. Add the spring onions and fry for 3 mins, then stir through the frozen spinach and cook for 2 mins or until it's starting to wilt. Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Shred the chicken off the bone and into the pan, and discard the bones. Stir through the stock and mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5-10 mins.
• Stir in the peas, crème fraîche and herbs, then remove from the heat. Scrunch the filo pastry sheets over the mixture, brush with a little oil and bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

SPRING CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a pan over a medium-high heat and fry the leeks for 10 minutes until soft. Add the chicken and fry for a few minutes until opaque, then sprinkle in the flour. Add the béchamel, green veg, parsley and 2 tbsp of mustard. Season well. Transfer the mixture to a pie dish - the filling should fit in snugly. Leave to cool, then chill for up to two days, if you like.
• Roll out the pastry on a floured worksurface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Whisk the remaining 2 tsp of mustard into the beaten egg and brush a little around the edge of the pie dish. Lay the pastry over the filling and press around the edges to seal. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt. Chill until ready to bake or up to a day ahead.
• Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut a steam hole into the top of the pie and bake from chilled for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with steamed greens or carrots.

NEXT LEVEL CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a low heat. Add the leek, chicken, herbs and seasoning, and cook for 10-12 mins until the chicken is cooked, the leeks have softened, and the mixture is simmering. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 mins until the mix resembles a sandy paste. Pour in the wine or sherry, and bubble for 1 min, then stir in the stock, crème fraîche or cream and the mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Tip into a container and chill for 2 hrs, or overnight. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour with a large pinch of salt until completely combined. Add half the beaten egg and 4 tbsp ice-cold water, and bring together into a dough using your hands, adding a little more water if needed. Knead for a minute so it completely comes together, then chill for 1 hr.
• Butter a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Roll two-thirds of the pastry out until large enough to line the tin with some overhanging. Use it to line the tin, then spoon in the filling. Roll out the remaining pastry until large enough to cover the pie. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little of the remaining beaten egg, then drape over the pie to close it. Trim the edge, then press with a fork to seal. Chill until you're ready to cook. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 with a baking sheet inside. Brush the pie with some of the remaining beaten egg, then lightly score a criss-cross pattern on top using a sharp knife. Bake on the hot sheet for 20 mins, then brush with the rest of the egg, season with sea salt flakes and bake for 15-20 mins more until deep golden. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 mins, then carefully remove from the tin, put on a board and cut into wedges to serve.