You can use any vegetable you like – I’ve used leeks, peas and carrots here, but I’ve thrown in sweetcorn, broccoli and cauliflower before now and they all work well.
Using up leftover meat is a win, win, as it makes it a speedier dinner whilst avoiding food waste. I have no shame in ALWAYS buying shop bought pastry - I sadly don't have a Kitchenaid or otherwise, nor the time to knock it up by hand.
The gravy is a rich and unctuous one with a hint of creaminess from milk, but mostly made with chicken stock, so you needn't feel too guilty.
Serve with a heap of vegetables, and your choice of buttery mash potato or chips – don’t go all healthy, if you’re having pie, you may as well go the whole hog.
 |
| Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie |
Here’s how:
Roughly chop the chicken and set aside for now.
Slice the leeks, and peel and dice the carrot and set aside with the peas.
Now chop the bacon into small pieces and add to a pan to fry in their own fat. If not enough fat is present, add a little of the butter.
While the bacon is cooking make up your chicken stock (unless you are using fresh – in which case remove it from the fridge), and measure out the milk.
Grab a whisk so you have it ready for making the sauce.
Once the bacon is cooked off, use a slotted spoon to remove it and place into a bowl for now.
Add the leeks to the pan and allow to soften well – cook for a good 4-5 minutes until soft.
Now add the carrots and allow to cook for a further minute. Using the slotted spoon again, remove the vegetables from the pan and place into the bowl with the bacon.
Add the remaining butter to the pan, which as it’s hot should melt pretty quickly. Add the flour to make a roux and immediately begin whisking to prevent a lumpy sauce.
Once it resembles a thick paste, then firstly add the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly until the paste takes on the liquid and it becomes one.
Once all of the milk has been added, do the same with the stock, whisking all the time.
Now add the mustard powder, and season, still whisking as you go. Go gentle on the salt as bacon and the stock will have salt, but be generous with the black pepper to flavour.
Grate over some nutmeg to taste – I like a lot.
Now use a wooden spoon to continue stirring and allow the sauce to cook out for five minutes or until it has become thick and glossy.
Once the sauce has achieved the required consistency, return the bacon, leeks and carrots to the pan, with the peas and the chicken and stir well to coat everything. Now add the dried thyme and after a couple of minutes, taste to judge if you need any further seasoning.
Once happy allow to cook for a further few minutes, then remove from the heat.
Now generously grease the pie dish all over and simply lay the shortcrust pastry down pressing into the folds of the dish so it hangs over.
Spoon in the pie filling into the centre and evenly distribute in the pie plate.
- 250-300g cooked chicken,
- 3 rashers smoked bacon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 100ml milk
- 300ml chicken stock
- 2 leeks
- 1 large carrot
- 1 cup peas
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- Freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Black pepper & Sea salt
- 1 sheet ready prepared shortcrust pastry (Jus Rol or a supermarket brand is fine)
- 1 sheet ready prepared puff pastry
- 1 egg
Roughly chop the chicken and set aside for now.
Slice the leeks, and peel and dice the carrot and set aside with the peas.
Now chop the bacon into small pieces and add to a pan to fry in their own fat. If not enough fat is present, add a little of the butter.
While the bacon is cooking make up your chicken stock (unless you are using fresh – in which case remove it from the fridge), and measure out the milk.
Grab a whisk so you have it ready for making the sauce.
Once the bacon is cooked off, use a slotted spoon to remove it and place into a bowl for now.
Add the leeks to the pan and allow to soften well – cook for a good 4-5 minutes until soft.
Now add the carrots and allow to cook for a further minute. Using the slotted spoon again, remove the vegetables from the pan and place into the bowl with the bacon.
Add the remaining butter to the pan, which as it’s hot should melt pretty quickly. Add the flour to make a roux and immediately begin whisking to prevent a lumpy sauce.
Once it resembles a thick paste, then firstly add the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly until the paste takes on the liquid and it becomes one.
Once all of the milk has been added, do the same with the stock, whisking all the time.
Now add the mustard powder, and season, still whisking as you go. Go gentle on the salt as bacon and the stock will have salt, but be generous with the black pepper to flavour.
Grate over some nutmeg to taste – I like a lot.
Now use a wooden spoon to continue stirring and allow the sauce to cook out for five minutes or until it has become thick and glossy.
Once the sauce has achieved the required consistency, return the bacon, leeks and carrots to the pan, with the peas and the chicken and stir well to coat everything. Now add the dried thyme and after a couple of minutes, taste to judge if you need any further seasoning.
Once happy allow to cook for a further few minutes, then remove from the heat.
Now generously grease the pie dish all over and simply lay the shortcrust pastry down pressing into the folds of the dish so it hangs over.
Spoon in the pie filling into the centre and evenly distribute in the pie plate.
Beat the egg and use a pastry brush to coat all around the edge of the pie crust.
Now simply place the puff pastry sheet over the top of the shortcrust pastry – it will overlap quite a bit. Now use your thumb and press down on the pastry edge to crimp, placing a thumb mark down all the way round, one after the other.
 |
| Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie |
Once crimped, then carefully trim away the excess pastry. If you’re feeling creative, you can roll this back out and cut into a pretty shape or the words Pie.
Brush all over with the egg wash and make a couple of small incisions in the pastry – ensuring you cut right through, to make sure the steam can escape and doesn’t leave you with soggy pastry.
Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is well risen and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!
Brush all over with the egg wash and make a couple of small incisions in the pastry – ensuring you cut right through, to make sure the steam can escape and doesn’t leave you with soggy pastry.
Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is well risen and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!
 |
| Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie |
No comments:
Post a Comment