Country-style chicken pot pie recipe

This is one of those humble, country-style pies that is equivalent to a big hug. Think loaded gravy, juicy chicken and crisp puff pastry.

Country-style chicken pot pie. Picture: Nikki To

It has come to my attention that I use the word “comfort” a lot when introducing my recipes. While there couldn’t be a truer word to describe these dishes, it’s the actual cooking, eating and the rituals around them that bring me ease. Cooking gives me time to focus and be present. It fuels my imagination, communicates how I feel, and provides a distraction, or escape from mental clutter. My world starts to calm just seeing the ingredients for a meal ahead. Cooking is how I hold on to some semblance of myself among the obstacles of daily life. It makes me happy – and that’s before I’ve fed anyone.

Some other delicious recipes you may love:

• Roasted butterflied chook & butter beans
• This simple chicken dish will become a household staple
  
• Jammy roast tomato pasta sauce recipe
  

This is not a fancy pie. It’s one of those humble, country-style pies that is equivalent to a big hug. The chicken gently simmers in an umami-loaded gravy, and then once cooked, is topped with a layer of puff pastry, and baked. You should always cool a pie filling before draping it over the pastry. Adding puff pastry over hot filling will cause the butter to melt, resulting in a soggy top, something to avoid at all costs, especially for a pot pie. I always use full-butter puff pastry. Don’t worry too much about the size of the pastry sheet, just make sure it covers the top of your ceramic dish.

Country-style chicken pot pie. Picture: Nikki To

Country-style chicken pot pie. Picture: Nikki To

Like all pot pies, the filling is meant to be loose and best eaten in a bowl. If you did want to elevate this pie, you can divide the filling into individual pots and top with pastry. It should give you 6 x 250ml pots. And if you want to skip the puff pastry step altogether, the chicken filling can be transformed into a warming chicken and potato stew. Simply reduce flour to two tablespoons, double the stock and throw in 4-5 peeled and chopped potatoes when you return the chicken to the pan and cook for the same time. Serve with chopped parsley.

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RECIPE: Country-style chicken pot pie

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1kg chicken thighs, skinless and de-boned
• 40g butter
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 large leek, finely sliced
• 2 large celery sticks, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 450ml chicken stock
• 200g Swiss brown mushrooms, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons thyme, leaves picked
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry (1 sheet, roughly 300g – but big enough to cover your dish)

Method

1. In a deep-sided heavy pot with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. In batches, brown chicken thighs for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until starting to colour. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add butter to pan. Once melted, throw in chopped vegetables – leeks, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add flour and give everything a good stir. Return chicken to the pot, along with chicken stock, mushrooms and thyme. Cook for a minute, season with salt and pepper. Give a big stir, scraping off any crispy bits on the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low, put on a lid and cook for 1 ½ hours or until chicken is falling apart, giving everything a stir every now and then. Turn off heat and using a fork, shred chicken into the sauce. If you’re finding your filling too wet, turn heat back on and let it simmer away for a further 10 minutes uncovered to help reduce gravy. Remove from heat, throw in cheese and leave to cool completely. This mixture can be made the day before or frozen and defrosted until ready. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced. Defrost your frozen puff pastry in the fridge. When your chicken mixture is completely cool, tip into a 3-litre capacity ceramic pie dish (or casserole dish) and smooth out. Run a bit of olive oil around the edge to avoid pastry sticking.
3. Drape the pastry over your pie to cover, then using a fork, press the edges down to seal pastry with dish. Run a knife around it to trim any overhang. Use a sharp knife to score the top of the pie in a criss-cross pattern. You don’t want to cut through the pastry, merely score it. This not only looks great but helps the pastry cook evenly. Cut a 1cm cross vent in the centre of the pie to help release steam. Brush the pie with your whisked egg. Put pie onto a baking tray to catch any overspill and place in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden. Leave to sit for 10 minutes before serving as this helps the filling set – and stops you burning your tongue. Serves 6