Makes 4 large individual pies
Ingredients:
- 1 small whole free-range chicken, ± 1kg
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large leek, washed and sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried herbs
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 50g flour
- 500ml chicken stock
- 250ml full cream milk
- 80g fresh or frozen peas (about ½ a cup)
- 500g mixed cultivated mushrooms, sliced
- 1 x 400g roll store bought puff pastry
- 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200˚C.
- Rub chicken all over with salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Place in a roasting dish and roast for ± 60 minutes until cooked through.
- Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
- Shred chicken and discard the skin.
- Use carcass for creating wonderful homemade chicken stock.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep sauté pan.
- Add the onion, leek and celery – cook until tender.
- Add the garlic, dried herbs and fresh thyme.
- Cook until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the flour and cook for a minute, coating the vegetables well.
- Pour in the chicken stock, stirring quickly as you go to incorporate the flour into the liquid.
- Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the peas and the shredded chicken.
- Taste to adjust seasoning.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Sauté mushrooms, in batches if necessary, until golden brown and they have released all of their liquid. Season lightly.
- Fold golden brown mushrooms into the rest of the filling.
- Preheat oven to 180˚C.
- Select four large ramekins, baking dishes or little cast iron mini pots or mini pans.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry slightly and cut out pie lids using the ramekins to measure.
- Fill the dishes with the chicken and mushrooms filling.
- Top with the puff pastry, press the edges down to seal against the ramekins.
- Cut four little slits into each pie crust.
- Brush all over with egg wash.
- Bake for ± 35 minutes until deeply golden and the puff pastry is cooked through and perfectly crispy.
- Serve pies with a light side salad and enjoy!
