Chicken And Ham Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large pan with the carrots, potatoes, celery, half the thyme and seasoning. Add stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook gently for 15 minutes. Set a colander over a large bowl, pour in the pan contents and remove thyme. Reserve 600ml/1 pint stock (rest can be frozen).
• Rinse the pan, return to heat and melt the butter. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then the reserved stock a little at a time, to make a smooth thick sauce. Add the milk and simmer for 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the remaining thyme, lemon juice and parsley. Season.
• Mix together the chicken, vegetables and ham in a deep 2.2litre/4 pint ovenproof dish, preferably with a rim or lip. Pour over the sauce and leave to cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C.
• Roll out the pastry to about 5cm/2in larger than the top of the dish. Cut a 2.5cm/1in strip from all round the pastry. Brush the rim of the dish with egg and press the strip all round. Brush with egg and lift the pastry on to it, pressing the edges to seal thoroughly. Trim off excess, then mark the pastry edge all round with a fork. Make 4 small slits in the centre. Brush with egg and bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden.

Steps:

• HOT WATER CRUST PASTRY.
• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, making a well in the centre.
• Place the water, butter and lard into a saucepan, when the butter and lard has melted bring it all to the boil. Take off the heat.
• Pour the mixture into the centre of the flour. Working very quickly, mix with a wooden spoon. Then knead with hands to produce a smooth and elastic dough. Allow to rest in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes.
• (This pastry must be used whilst still warm, otherwise it will become brittle and hard to mould. I keep mine in a small pan over gently simmering water.).
• Proceed with your recipe, as below.
• PIE FILLING.
• Place all the pie-filling ingredients in to a large mixing bowl, including the herbs, spices and seasonings. Mix thoroughly with your hands - it's messy, but it's the best way to get everything well amalgamated!
• JELLIED STOCK.
• Heat the chicken or vegetable stock. Mix the gelatine with a little cold water until it is spongy and smooth, gradually add the hot stock to the gelatine and mix thoroughly. Set aside until it is needed.
• MAKING THE PIE.
• Grease an 8" round loose-bottom pie/cake tin or a special decorative pie mould - grease it liberally with melted butter or lard.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 3.
• Take two-thirds of the warm pastry, form into a large, flat disc and put in the bottom of the tin or pie mould. Gently press and mould until the pastry covers the base and sides of the tin, keeping it as even as possible.
• Fill the pastry pie case with the pie filling mixture - packing it down well.
• Moisten the top edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut a circle or oblong to fit the top of the tin. Place over the filling and seal the edges, without pressing the pastry down too heavily. Trim the edges. Make a hole in the top centre of the pie and use any pastry trimmings to make pastry leaves and decorative trimmings. Press these onto the top of the pie and glaze the whole thing with beaten egg.
• Now lay a sheet of foil over the top and bake for 2 hours, then remove from the oven. Leave the pie for 30-45 minutes to firm up, then turn up the oven temperature to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Carefully remove the pie from the tin and brush the pastry all over with the remaining beaten egg. If the sides show any sign of bulging, encircle the pie with a band of silicone paper (parchment) and tie with string.
• Return the pie to the oven and as the pastry continues baking it will firm up (if you used the paper, you will gradually be able to peel it away, but add a little more egg to the unglazed parts) and all the pastry will brown - it will take approximately 30 minutes. As the top will brown before the sides, it will need to be protected with foil while the sides finish browning.
• When the pie is a glowing golden colour, remove from the oven, leave to cool, then cover and chill.
• Meanwhile have the jellied stock warmed slightly (by sitting it in a bowl of hot water), then cool it to the syrupy stage and pour it into the pie very gradually through a funnel, in to the centre steam hole (as much as it will take). Chill again to give the jelly a chance to set and then - believe it or not - it's ready to serve!
• Serve with assorted fresh salads, pickles, mustard, chutney and relishes. Will pie keep for up to 5 days in a cool place or the fridge.
• This freezes very well, defrost overnight, sitting the pie on a wire rack to avoid the pastry becoming soggy.
• Wrap the pie for a picnic in greaseproof paper and cut the pie into slices when you arrive at your destination.

Steps:

• Roughly chop 2 shallots and 2 garlic cloves into chunks. Add to a saucepan with the milk, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon of the tarragon. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain the milk and discard the vegetables and herbs.
• Melt a knob of butter in another pan over a medium heat. Finely dice the remaining shallots and garlic then add to the melted butter with the chicken and the remaining tarragon. Cook until the shallots are soft and the chicken is approximately half cooked through.
• Melt 50g of butter in another pan. Add the flour and whisk into a paste to create a roux. Cook the paste for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and the stock in small doses, whisking constantly. You will end up with a milky sauce that is free from lumps. Reduce down until you have a thick, creamy sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the chicken, shallots, garlic and the ham into the sauce.
• Grease a pie dish. Roll out one sheet of the pastry and lay it over the dish. pour the filling into the pastry and brush the edges with the beaten egg. Roll out the other sheet of pastry and lay it across the top. Press down the edges to seal the pie, trim off the excess and brush the top of the pie with egg. Make a slit in the top of the pastry with a knife.
• Cook the pie in the oven (200C/180C fan assisted) for approximately 40 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden brown.

Steps:

• 1. Take the chicken off the bone in large pieces. In a deep dish pie plate,
• make alternate layers of chicken, ham and leeks.
• 2. In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and add the onions. Saute
• until the onions are soft. Stir in the flour and mustard and cook for a few
• minutes. Slowy add the chicken broth and cream, stirring until it is thickened.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken, ham and leeks in the pie pan.
• 3. Roll out the pie crust until it is slightly larger than the pie plate.
• Dampen the edges of the pie plate and cover with the pie crust. Crimp the edges
• and cut holes for steam.
• 4. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven until the crust is lighty browned, about 25 to
• 30 minutes.