If you’re planning a big family lunch or having a group of friends around for dinner – this rustic pie will go down a treat.
Serves 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: About 11/4 hours
What You’ll Need:
- A good glug of olive oil
- 500g (1lb 2oz) chicken breast, diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp flour
- 200ml (7fl oz) white wine
- 200g (7oz) blanched asparagus tips
- sprig of tarragon
- 100ml (31/2fl oz) double cream
- salt and black pepper
- 375g (13oz) ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
What To Do:
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Blot the chicken on some kitchen paper, add it to the pan and spread it out, but don’t stir. After 2 minutes, stir briefly, then leave for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the onion and garlic. Soften the onion, then sift the flour over it and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Add the wine a bit at a time, stirring continuously. Return to the heat, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer, then add the chicken, asparagus and tarragon. After 10 minutes add the cream and season. Once everything is simmering again, turn off the heat and allow to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas mark 5.
- Cut the pastry sheet slightly larger than the circumference of a large pie dish. reserve the offcuts. Put the filing in the dish, brush the rim with beaten egg, then place the pastry on top, squashing the extra pastry around the rim of the dish to secure.
- Brush with egg.
- Use a shape cutter to cut out shapes from the reserved pastry, arrange these on top and brush with more egg.
- Bake on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Recipe from The Vintage Tea Party Book, By Angel Adoree.