Kitchen Craft 47: Easy chicken pie

Creamy rotisserie chicken pie

Serves 6
Easy
Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 55 minutes

Note: This recipe uses a whole rotisserie chicken and makes enough filling for 2 pies. 

For the filling:
2 T butter
2 leeks, halved, then cut into chunks 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
300 g Woolworths Freshly Frozen Peas, Baby Carrots and Corn 
1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed from the bone in chunks (the skin can also be added if you like)
2 x 250 g Woolworths Frozen All Butter Puff Pastry, thawed (to make 2 pies, you’ll need 4 x 250 g sheets)  
1 free range egg, beaten
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

For the béchamel: 
3 T butter
3 T flour
3 cups milk
Salt, to taste

METHOD:

1. To make the béchamel, place the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and gently melt. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute, or until the mixture begins to smell slightly nutty. 
2. Gradually add the milk, stirring or using a silicone whisk to incorporate the milk to form a paste. The sauce will become thinner and smooth as you continue stirring and once the milk is added.
3. Once you have a smooth, silky sauce, place a piece of clingwrap directly on the sauce while you prepare the filling. If any lumps form, blend using a stick blender until smooth. 
4. To make the filling, heat the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and some salt to season and soften them. Cook until the leeks are softened but not brown. Stir in the frozen vegetable mix and cook for about 5 minutes with the lid on, until the carrots have thawed. 
5. Combine the vegetables, chicken pieces and béchamel sauce in a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. 
6. Roll out 1 pastry sheet, making it large enough to fill the bottom and go slightly over the edges of a 24 cm pie dish. Fill the pastry-lined dish with a generous amount of filling. (If you’re only making one pie, the remaining filling can be frozen in a freezer bag.) 
7. Roll out the second sheet of pastry and cover the pie. Cutt off the excess pastry hanging over the edge of the dish but leave enough to crimp the bottom and top layer of pastry together. 
8. Pinch the layers of pastry together with your thumb and index finger, then fold over to seal. 
9. Brush the pie with the beaten egg, then make a small hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape during baking. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds if using. 
10. Place the pie in the fridge and preheat the oven to 200°C. Once your oven reaches temperature, place the pie on the lowest shelf in the oven to allow the base of the pie to cook, as well as the top. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and puffed up. Allow to cool slightly before serving. 

In the mood for a quick fix?

SHOP PIES, PIZZAS AND QUICHES