Creamy Chicken Pie Recipe

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 x 320g (2 x 11oz) rolls of ready-rolled puff pastry

3 chicken breasts (cut into small chunks)

3 carrots (peeled and chopped into chunks)

3 medium sized potatoes (peeled and chopped into small chunks)

good pinch of salt and pepper

2 sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

600 ml (2 1/2 cups) chicken stock (water plus 3 stock cubes is fine)

50 g (3 1/2 tbsp) butter

1 large onion (peeled and finely chopped)

6 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour

300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk (half or full-fat)

juice of 1 lemon

1 egg (slightly whisked with a fork)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).

Line a 10 x 8 inch pie dish with one roll of the puff pastry.

Prick the base several times with a fork and cut off any large overhanging bits of pastry.

Line the pastry with baking parchment so that it completely covers the pastry, then fill with baking beans (or dried beans) and place in the oven to 'blind bake' for 10 minutes. PRO TIP This helps to prevent the pie from having a soggy bottom. Because it's puff pastry the sides will puff up a bit (which I don't mind), if you want to prevent this, just fill up with more baking beans.

Take out of the oven and put to one side.

Meanwhile, place the chicken, carrots, potatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, and stock into a large saucepan.

Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat.

When the chicken and stock are nearly cooked, take another large saucepan and add in the butter and chopped onion. Heat on medium and cook the onion for about 5-6 minutes until soft.

Add in the flour and mix it into the onions and butter using a balloon whisk. It should form into a creamy paste (or roux). Allow the roux to cook for a minute whilst stirring with your whisk.

Then, add in a ladle of the stock from the chicken broth (try to get mostly stock - not the chicken/veggies). Stir the broth into the mixture using the whisk. Repeat this until you have ladled out most of the stock from the chicken pan (leaving the chicken and veggies behind).

Now, pour in the milk. Heat through whilst stirring with the whisk. The sauce should thicken as it is heating.

Once the sauce is almost at boiling (don't let it boil) add in the chicken and veggies.

Bring back to almost boiling and add in half the lemon juice. Give it a stir and taste. Add the rest of the lemon juice and more seasoning if you think it needs it.

Remove the baking beans and baking parchment from the pie and fill the pie up with the chicken mixture.

Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash, then top the pie with the remaining piece of pastry.

Pinch the edges to seal, then brush the top with more egg wash and pierce a couple of small holes in the top of the pie with a sharp knife.

Place back in the oven (still at 200C/400F (fan)) and cook for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve immediately with some green veg.

Nutrition

• Calories: 870 kcal
• Total Fat: 51 g
• Saturated Fat: 16 g
• Cholesterol: 86 mg
• Sodium: 932 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 75 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 26 g