Savory or sweet, pie is one of the great joys of life, and no one makes pie like the chefs at Rattan Direct! This chicken pie recipe embodies comfort food, not to mention the fact that food made at home has a depth of soul that cannot be factory forged. The buttery, flaky crust coupled with a moist and meaty filling makes this chicken pie your next go-to dish.
Want to see how it’s done? We have the video right now!
Ingredients
- FOR PASTRY CRUST
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup cold butter, diced
- 1/3 cup cold vegetable shortening, diced
- A pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- FOR CHICKEN PIE
- 1 1/4 cup double cream
- 1/2 cup chicken stock (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 3/4 cup shredded and cooked chicken
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 egg, for glazing
Preparation
- 1 Mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl and tip in the chopped butter and shortening
- 2 Gently run the fats through the flour so that each piece is coated
- 3 The fats must now be incorporated into the flour. There are a few ways of doing this – by hand or by machine
- 4 To use a machine, put all of the above into a food processor and pulse about 5 or 6 times until it looks like fresh breadcrumbs
- 5 Transfer the lot back to the bowl
- 6 To do it by hand, begin by chopping the fat with a broad-bladed knife or a pastry cutter (a wire whisk is a good substitute for those of us without a pastry cutter)
- 7 Get the fat pieces as small as you can at this stage before adding the warmth of your hands
- 8 Once the fats are chopped into the flour, rub the remaining lumps through the flour with the tips of your fingers. You put your hands into the bowl, lift some out with your fingers and rub your fingers together so the mixture falls back into the bowl. Keep doing this until it looks like fresh breadcrumbs
- 9 Now add the water, too much water will make the pastry tough
- 10 Gradually stir in the cold water until the mixture starts to form a dough. Give it a helping hand once in a while with your fingers. Once it clumps together, even if it seems slightly dry, stop
- 11 Wrap in cling film or a plastic bag and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
- 12 Now you need to make a beurre manie; a paste for quickly thickening sauces that they use in pro kitchens
- 13 Mix one tablespoon of melted butter with an equal amount of flour and set aside
- 14 To make the pie filling, add the cream and the stock (if using) to a wide based pan like a frying pan
- 15 Place over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Add a blob of the beurre manie and whisk
- 16 Give it a second to see how thick it gets and then keep adding until the sauce is thick enough to coat the chicken
- 17 Mix the cooked chicken with parsley, salt and pepper and add to the sauce with a drop of lemon juice. Stir to combine and then set aside to cool
- 18 Pre-heat the oven to 375F
- 19 Once the pastry has rested in the fridge, bring it out ready for rolling
- 20 You need half for the top and half for the bottom for a 9x8 dish
- 21 Roll each half of the pastry out to form a rectangle, or circle if you find it easier, about the thickness of coin
- 22 Place one-half on the baking sheet and brush all edges with beaten egg mixed with a little water
- 23 Top with filling, spread almost to the edges
- 24 Top with the other half of the pastry, press down to expel any air, and seal the edges together
- 25 Crimp the edges any way you wish
- 26 Brush the top with egg wash and slash three lines in the pastry for the air to escape
- 27 Bake on center rack of the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes
