This delicious and filling pie is so much quicker and easier than it looks. Plus it’s brilliant for entertaining and a great alternative to a Sunday roast.
I’ll confess I have used shop bought puff pastry but I figure if it’s good enough for Jamie and Gordon then it’s good enough for me. If you didn’t want to “cheat” but don’t have 12 hours to spend making your own puff you could always make shortcrust instead which is really simple.
What You Need
- 3 – 4 boneless chicken thighs, diced
- 6 rashers of bacon
- 1-2 leeks, finely sliced
- A packet of ready made, ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp sage
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 400 ml dry cider
- 200 ml creme fraiche
What You Do
- Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6 (or whatever is specified on the pastry packet).
- Grill the bacon and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Stir-fry the leeks & garlic in a large saucepan with a little oil or butter until softened.
- Add the chicken and cook until browned.
- Add the cider and cook down for 5 minutes.
- Add both mustards and the herbs.
- Remove from the heat and stir through the creme fraiche and cooked bacon until combined.
- Pour into a pie dish or flan tin and allow to cool slightly, meanwhile remove your readymade pastry from the fridge.
- Once the filling has cooled a little, gently lay the pastry sheet over the top and make sure the dish is completely covered.
- Press down the pastry tightly at the edges of the dish with your fingers or a fork and poke a tiny hole in the centre of the pastry (this allows air to escape during cooking and makes the pastry a little crispier).
- Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and flaky.
Tips & Tags
*naughty nibble/ideal for entertaining/winter warmer*
- Chicken breast would work just fine of course but I personally prefer thighs in this as they are a bit more juicy. Alternatively, you could use leftover roast chicken instead.
- For a really crunchy alternative use filo pastry instead of puff, simply scrunch up the sheets on top of the filling.
- Without the pastry this chicken mixture would be lovely with pasta or as a baked potato filling.
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