Before I start this, can I please start off with one small bugbear when it comes to pie.
A pie that only has pastry as a lid, is a pot pie. It’s not a real pie. A real pie has a base and sides and sometimes comes in a variety that I can hold. I cannot hold a pot pie.
Right. That feels tons better. Don’t get me wrong, I like a pot pie – it’s a way to have pastry without being too naughty. But it’s not a proper pie. It’s the Weight Watchers version of a pie.
This recipe is for a proper pie. Now the weather is changing a little bit, and we’re finally feeling a little less of that biting wind and all the snow, some of my favourite veggies are hitting the shelves. Leeks, spring cabbage, carrots. It seemed the perfect excuse for a chicken and spring vegetable pie.
It’s a great way to use up leftovers – both vegetables and chicken. And you can use the bones of an old roast to make the stock for the sauce – heck, I even used some chicken fat from the roast run-off for the roux, replacing some of the butter – gives it a gorgeously intense chicken flavour.
The pastry I used was pre-made – Jus-Rol do some great ones, and if like me you’re love a little butter, their all butter puff pastry is perfect.
But, it is easy to make your own, so this shortcrust recipe is great, as is this simple rough puff pastry. It just takes a little extra time. You’ll also see that I always bake through my pie base. I love a good crisp pastry.
Oh and final words – this is a big pie. Enjoy!
Chicken and Spring Vegetable Pie
220g Puff pastry
420g Shortcrust pastry
400g (approx.) Roast chicken (you could always use more or less than this and swap for vegetables)
200g (approx.) Mixed vegetables (as with above, swap these in or out depending on what you fancy)
300 ml Whole milk
350ml Chicken stock
50g Butter
50g plain flour
1 egg, beaten (for glazing)
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7/220°C.
Roll out your pastry and line a pie tin around 20-25cm in diameter (or use smaller and deeper, personal preference) with the shortcrust pastry.
Prick the pastry to stop it rising too much and using baking beans and some greaseproof paper (or like me rice, or apparently Mary Berry uses pasta) and blind bake it in the oven for around 10 minutes, until it’s golden and crisp.
Once done, remove it from the oven and leave it to cool.
While it’s in the oven, you can make the sauce. It’s very similar to an American white gravy, which I love. So, pop a pan on the heat and grab yourself a wooden spoon, the butter and flour.
Pop them in the pan and as the butter melts, blend in the flour to form a paste. Still on the heat, slowly start to add the milk and the stock. It doesn’t matter which way you do it, all down to personal taste. If you’ve never made a sauce like this before, this video will help.
Once it comes up to the boil it will thicken – keep stirring just to cook out the flavour of the flour a little bit.
You can also, while the pie base is cooking, cook through any veg you think may need it. I par boiled some Chantenay carrots and sauteed some leeks and spring cabbage.
Now to assemble.
Layer in your chicken and vegetables.
Pour over the sauce, allowing it time to settle into the gaps.
Then roll out the puff pastry for the top of the pie, and using a little milk as glue, pop it on top.
Make a hole in the top to allow any steam to escape, brush it with beaten egg (I forgot this bit, so mine looks a little anaemic) and then it’s back into the oven for around 30-45 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the pastry golden brown and crisp.
Eat with any leftover sauce, and vegetables.
