Sunday
Diana Henry's chicken, leek & cider pie
Poached chicken, sweated leeks, a proper cider and cream sauce, all under a golden puff pastry lid. Diana Henry's thoughtful, comforting classic from BBC Good Food, October 2016.
My kind of comfort food. Before South Africa had pizza and burger joints, chicken pie was all I ever wanted — and this one is the best I've ever made.
Method
- 01
Put the whole chicken in a large pot with the halved onion, bay, peppercorns and thyme. Cover with cold water, bring to a gentle simmer and poach for 45 minutes. Lift out, cool a little, then strip the meat into generous pieces. Strain and reserve the stock. (Skip this step if using thighs — poach them in stock for 15 minutes and shred.)
- 02
Melt the butter in a wide pan. Add the chopped onion and leeks, season, and sweat over low heat for 12-15 minutes until completely soft and sweet.
- 03
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Pour in the cider and let it bubble down, then add the stock, whisking, until you have a smooth, thickened sauce.
- 04
Stir in the cream, mustard and tarragon. Fold through the chicken. Taste — it wants proper seasoning. Tip into a 1.5L pie dish and let it cool to just warm (a boiling filling will melt the pastry).
- 05
Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Roll the pastry on a floured surface until slightly larger than your dish. Brush the rim with egg, drape the pastry over, trim, crimp, and cut a small steam hole in the middle. Brush the top with beaten egg.
- 06
Bake for 30-35 minutes until deeply golden and puffed and the filling is bubbling at the vent. Rest for 5 minutes before serving with buttered greens or mashed potato.
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