Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
A creamy chicken and vegetable filling bubbles away under a golden puff pastry lid, turning an ordinary dinner into something worth sitting down for.
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Method
- 1
Brown the chicken. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) now, so it is fully hot by the time the filling has cooled. Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper, then melt half the butter in the large pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes, turning once or twice, until coloured on the outside but not cooked through, then lift it out onto a plate. Searing at this stage builds a deeper, meatier flavour than simply simmering it from raw would.
- 2
Soften the vegetables. With the heat lowered to medium, add the remaining butter, then the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent and everything has softened. Stir in the garlic and thyme for a final minute, just until fragrant.
- 3
Cook the flour. Stir the flour into the softened vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. This brief cooking drives off the raw, pasty taste flour can have and lets it properly thicken the sauce later.
- 4
Build the sauce. Once the flour has cooked through, gradually whisk in the chicken stock, then the milk, working out any lumps as you go. Bring to a gentle simmer and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes until the sauce turns thick and smooth, as the flour's starch swells and sets the texture.
- 5
Simmer the chicken through. With the chicken and its juices back in the pan, simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and reaches 74°C at its thickest point. Keep the heat low enough that the sauce barely bubbles, so the chicken stays tender rather than turning tough.
- 6
Stir in peas and cool. Take the pan off the heat and fold in the frozen peas and parsley, whose bright colour and fresh flavour would dull if cooked any longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then leave the filling to cool for 10-15 minutes. This matters: hot filling melts the butter layers in the pastry before they get a chance to puff.
- 7
Top with pastry. Once the oven reaches 200°C (180°C fan), spoon the cooled filling into the pie dish if you haven't cooked it in an ovenproof pan. Lay the pastry sheet over the top, trimming it to leave a 1 cm overhang, and press the edges firmly onto the rim. Brush all over with the beaten egg and cut 3-4 small slits to let steam escape.
- 8
Bake until golden. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and well puffed and you can see the filling bubbling up through the vents. Those bubbling vents are the clearest sign the filling underneath is properly hot all the way through.
- 9
Rest before serving. Once it's out of the oven, let the pie rest for 10 minutes before cutting in. This short pause gives the sauce time to settle and thicken slightly, so it holds its shape on the plate instead of running everywhere.
Storage
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze the baked pie (or the unbaked filling) for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven until piping hot throughout and the centre reaches 74°C, rather than using a microwave, to keep the pastry crisp. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large deep ovenproof frying pan (26-28 cm) or a 24 cm pie dish with a large saucepan
- wooden spoon
- pastry brush
- sharp knife
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 774 kcal |
| Protein | 40.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 54.6 g |
| of which sugars | 8 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 43.3 g |
| of which saturates | 14.5 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
| Salt | 2.44 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
