Whole Chicken Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. , In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato mixture; remove from heat., Unroll a pie crust into each of two 9-in. pie plates; trim even with rims. Add chicken mixture. Unroll remaining crusts; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in tops. , Bake 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked pies. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 425°. Place pies on baking sheets; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°; bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 5. Season the chicken and roast for 1 hr 30 mins until the juices run clear when you cut into the leg.
• To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then grate in the butter and lard. Rub the mixture with your fingers into breadcrumbs, then add 2 tbsp cold water. Continue to add cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture binds together. Be careful not to add too much. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest while you make the filling. (Alternatively you can use ready-rolled shortcrust pastry).
• In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat the oil, then fry the bacon. Once browned, reduce the heat, add the leeks and cook until they have softened. Mix the butter and flour into a paste and add to the pan, stirring to coat the bacon and leeks. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to ensure the mixture doesn't get lumpy. Add the chicken stock and petit pois, cook for 2 mins, then add the mustard and remove from the heat. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven, leave to rest briefly and carve the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Add this to the pan along with the parsley.
• Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 6. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use to line a 25cm pie dish. Spoon your filling on top, then roll out the remaining pastry for the pie topping. Brush the edges of the pastry in the pie dish with water, then lay the top over it. Crimp and seal the edges and use any off-cuts for decoration. Brush with the beaten egg, then make an X-shaped cut in the middle for steam to escape. Bake for 45 mins until golden.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a low heat. Add the leek, chicken, herbs and seasoning, and cook for 10-12 mins until the chicken is cooked, the leeks have softened, and the mixture is simmering. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 mins until the mix resembles a sandy paste. Pour in the wine or sherry, and bubble for 1 min, then stir in the stock, crème fraîche or cream and the mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Tip into a container and chill for 2 hrs, or overnight. Will keep chilled for up to two days.
• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour with a large pinch of salt until completely combined. Add half the beaten egg and 4 tbsp ice-cold water, and bring together into a dough using your hands, adding a little more water if needed. Knead for a minute so it completely comes together, then chill for 1 hr.
• Butter a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Roll two-thirds of the pastry out until large enough to line the tin with some overhanging. Use it to line the tin, then spoon in the filling. Roll out the remaining pastry until large enough to cover the pie. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little of the remaining beaten egg, then drape over the pie to close it. Trim the edge, then press with a fork to seal. Chill until you're ready to cook. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 with a baking sheet inside. Brush the pie with some of the remaining beaten egg, then lightly score a criss-cross pattern on top using a sharp knife. Bake on the hot sheet for 20 mins, then brush with the rest of the egg, season with sea salt flakes and bake for 15-20 mins more until deep golden. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 mins, then carefully remove from the tin, put on a board and cut into wedges to serve.