Whole Chicken Pie Food

PROPER CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Use a large sharp knife to carefully cut down the back bone of the chicken, cutting it in half. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear for 10 minutes, or until golden. Reserve the pan for the cabbage.
• Meanwhile, chop the pancetta into 1cm chunks, pick in the thyme leaves and place in a large shallow casserole pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. Put it on a medium heat so the fat renders out, while you wash and trim the white part of the leek (save the green for making soup) and the celery. Peel the onion and carrot, then roughly chop all the veg into 1.5cm chunks and add to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
• Stir in 2 heaped tablespoons of flour, cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the cider. Let it bubble away for 2 minutes or until almost evaporated, then stir in the mustard and stock. Add the chicken breast-side down, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on a low heat for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
• Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the flour in a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Grate in the cold butter, then rub with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in 100ml of cold water, mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands until it forms a dough, adding an extra splash of water if needed. Divide into 2 pieces - you will need ⅓ for the lid and ⅔ for the base - flatten with your hands and chill until needed.
• Finely slice the mushrooms and set aside.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred the meat (discard the carcass).
• Stir the mushrooms into the pan, followed by the shredded chicken and the crème fraîche, mix well and season to taste.
• Strain the chicken mixture through a sieve over a clean pan to catch the liquid, gently pressing to help it along, and reserve for your gravy. Leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
• Lightly grease a 30cm pie dish with oil. Roll out the larger piece of pastry between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper to just a few millimetres thick and use it to line the dish - allow an overhang. Press firmly into the edges and up the sides of the dish.
• Fill with the cooled chicken mixture, then carefully roll out and top with the remaining piece of pastry. Beat the egg and brush a little over the edge of the lid then fold over the overhang and press down gently to seal. Egg wash the pie all over, then make a small incision in the centre to let the steam escape and bake at the bottom of the oven for 1 hour, or until the pastry is golden and the pie is piping hot.
• Click off and discard any tatty outer leaves from the cabbage, then cut in half. Halve the core, then finely slice. Roughly chop the rest into large chunks. Place the chicken pan on a high heat, add the cabbage stalks and fry for 2 minutes, then go in with the leaves and a splash of water and cook for 5 minutes more, or until softened and lightly charred. Stir in the mustard, then add a pinch of salt and white pepper with a splash of water, and simmer for 1 minute, tossing a few times.
• Reheat the gravy and enjoy with the pie and cabbage. Delicious served with creamy mash.

WHOLE CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Combine onion, carrot, and celery in a bowl. Add garlic, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Drizzle in olive oil. Mix stuffing well.
• Trim away the wing tips of the chicken. Season the whole surface and cavity generously with salt. Spoon the stuffing into the cavity, reserving any extra for the sauce later. Tie the legs together with string. Refrigerate until ready to wrap.
• Place dough onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top. Roll out into a large circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place chicken, breast-side down, in the center of the dough. Wrap dough over the chicken. Cut off sections of excess dough and patch them over areas with less coverage.
• Beat egg and water together and brush some egg wash over the redistributed dough. Press the rest of dough into the new seams. Continue folding dough over the chicken, brushing with egg wash and patching pieces together as needed, until chicken is fully covered. Do not stretch the dough too thin.
• Flip chicken over onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Press on the inside of both legs to enhance their shape. Refrigerate until crust is cold, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush the remaining egg wash all over the chicken. Sprinkle fleur de sel on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is beautifully browned, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a pie dish and let rest while preparing the sauce, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cut a small hole into the back of the chicken and spoon out 1/2 cup of the stuffing. Place in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon butter. Add a pinch of salt. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Add wine and the pan drippings. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add cold butter. Turn off heat and stir sauce vigorously until butter melts.
• Slice chicken and serve with the sauce.

MINI WHOLE-WHEAT CHICKEN POT PIES

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk the egg with 3 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl. Pulse the flour, 1/3 of the butter, Parmesan, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a food processor until the mixture looks like fine meal. Add the remaining butter and pulse until the mixture is in pea-size pieces. Add the egg and pulse until the dough begins to come together.
• Divide the dough in half; place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap the disks tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour up to overnight, or freeze for up to 2 months.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, add the oil to a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and thyme and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the broth, peas and carrots and sour cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken and parsley and add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to cool completely. (The filling can be made a day ahead.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Roll 1 disk of dough between two sheets of parchment to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut into nine rounds. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut out 3 more rounds. Cover the rounds with a clean, damp towel to prevent the dough from drying out. Repeat with the remaining disk of dough, for a total of 24 rounds. (If the dough gets too warm while you're working with it, chill it until it's easier to work with.)
• Place 1 round of dough on a clean, lightly-floured work surface and roll out to about 4 1/2 inches. Place 1/3 cup of filling in the center and brush the edges with beaten egg. Roll another round of dough out to 4 1/2 inches and drape over the filling; seal the edges and crimp with a fork. Brush the entire pot pie with more egg, cut a few slits in the top, sprinkle with some pepper and place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Bake the pot pies until they're golden brown and the filling begins to bubble, 20 to 24 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
• Alternatively, freeze the unbaked pot pies for up to 1 month, then bake, from frozen, in the oven, preheated to 375 degrees F, until they're golden brown and the filling begins to bubble, 20 to 24 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

TRADITIONAL CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Place 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 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 shortening and rub them into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in just enough cold water to form a stiff dough. Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 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/9fl oz. Strain the reduced liquid into a jug and leave to cool, then skim off the fat and discard it.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut the meat into chunks and discard the skin and bones.
• For the sauce, remove the cloves from the onion. Put the onion in a food processor with the reserved stock. Blend until smooth, then add the milk and set aside.
• 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 4-5 minutes to cook out the taste of the flour. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then fold the meat gently into the sauce. Set the mixture aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/210C Fan/Gas 7. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use it to line a 20-25cm/8-10in pie plate and add the cooled chicken mix.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid for the pie, brush the edge with beaten egg and pinch the edges together to seal.
• Decorate the top of the pie with leaves made from pastry trimmings and brush all over with beaten egg. Make a hole in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape, then bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown.

ROAST CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 5. Season the chicken and roast for 1 hr 30 mins until the juices run clear when you cut into the leg.
• To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then grate in the butter and lard. Rub the mixture with your fingers into breadcrumbs, then add 2 tbsp cold water. Continue to add cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture binds together. Be careful not to add too much. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest while you make the filling. (Alternatively you can use ready-rolled shortcrust pastry).
• In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat the oil, then fry the bacon. Once browned, reduce the heat, add the leeks and cook until they have softened. Mix the butter and flour into a paste and add to the pan, stirring to coat the bacon and leeks. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to ensure the mixture doesn't get lumpy. Add the chicken stock and petit pois, cook for 2 mins, then add the mustard and remove from the heat. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven, leave to rest briefly and carve the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Add this to the pan along with the parsley.
• Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 6. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use to line a 25cm pie dish. Spoon your filling on top, then roll out the remaining pastry for the pie topping. Brush the edges of the pastry in the pie dish with water, then lay the top over it. Crimp and seal the edges and use any off-cuts for decoration. Brush with the beaten egg, then make an X-shaped cut in the middle for steam to escape. Bake for 45 mins until golden.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 1 gallon of cool water. Add the vegetables and herbs and bring the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim well; then simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming frequently as the oil rises to the surface. What we're doing here is not only cooking the chicken but also creating the base sauce for the pot pie. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. Continue to cook down the chicken broth for another 15 minutes to condense the flavor; you should have about 8 cups when you're finished. Using a colander, strain the chicken broth into another pot and discard the solids. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones.
• Wipe out the stockpot and put it back on the stovetop over medium heat. Melt the butter and then whisk in the flour to form a paste. This is a roux, which will act as a thickener. Now, gradually pour in 8 cups of the chicken broth, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps. Whisk and simmer for 10 minutes to cook out the starchy taste of the flour and thicken the broth; it should look like cream of chicken soup. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the shredded chicken, carrots, pearl onions, peas, and parsley. Stir to combine and turn off the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the thawed puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured, cool surface. Invert individual crocks on the pastry sheet and, using a sharp knife, cut circles around the outside of the bowls, slightly larger than the bowl itself. Fill the crocks 3/4 of the way with the chicken mixture, making sure each serving has a nice amount of chicken, vegetables, and broth. Carefully cap each crock with a pastry circle, pressing the dough around the rim to form a seal. Lightly beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash and brush some on the pastry. Sprinkle the pastry with the Parmigiano. Set the crocks on a cookie sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

HEAVENLY HOME-STYLE ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400.
• Unwrap chicken, remove giblets (if needed), wash, and pat semi-dry.
• Spread 1 tbs butter on the bottom of shallow roasting pan.
• Place whole chicken in roasting pan, breast side up.
• Sprinkle liberally with salt.
• Spread remaining butter all over chicken.
• Sprinkle with black pepper, lemon pepper, and paparika to taste. Sprinkle with rosemary.
• Add potatoes to pan, surrounding the chicken.
• Spinkle potatoes with salt, pepper, and small amount of rosemary.
• Drizzle potatoes with olive oil.
• Place pan in oven and bake chicken and potatoes for 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Toss potatoes to turn.
• Add 1 cup water to the pan.
• Add chopped carrots and onion to pan.
• Sprinkle minced garlic over veggies and chicken.
• Drizzle carrots and onion with olive oil.
• Place pan back in oven.
• Bake for an additional 45 mins until chicken is brown and crispy, and potatoes are nicely roasted.
• Remove from oven, allowing chicken to cool.
• Carve chicken and serve with veggies (drizzle with gravy from the pan, if you like).
• NOTE: If whole chicken is over 3.5 pounds, add 8-10 mins per pound to cooking time.