Traditional Chicken Pie

Ingredients

For the pastry o 6 oz (170 g) of plain flour o 4 oz (115 g) of lard or vegetable fat o 2-3 tbsp of iced water o pinch of salt For the filling o 12 oz (340 g) of cooked chicken cut into chunks or small pieces o 12 fl oz (340 ml) of chicken stock o 6 fl oz (170 ml) of whipping cream o 3 fl oz (85 ml) of dry white wine o 3 fl oz (85 ml) of medium sherry o 3 oz (100 g) of frozen peas o 2 oz (55 g) of butter o 3 diced carrots o 1 diced parsnip o 1 medium chopped onion o 3 tbsp of plain flour o 1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley o 1 tsp of dried thyme o salt and pepper To glaze o 1 beaten egg o 2 tbsp of milk

Method

1.

First of all start off by making the pastry. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour and salt. Cut the fat into chunks and add to the flour. With a knife or pastry blender, cut the fat into smaller pieces to mix with the flour at the same time. Rub the small pieces of fat into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of water at a time onto the flour and begin to gather the mixture together with the knife and finally with your hands until a soft ball of dough has formed. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (For more detailed instructions see our guide to shortcrust pastry). 2. Preheat the oven to a temperature of 400F/200C. 3. In a large saucepan, heat 1 oz (30 g) of the butter, add the onion, parsnip and carrots and fry gently until the vegetables have softened. Remove the vegetables and set aside. 4. Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and allow to warm up to room temperature. 5. In the same saucepan, melt the remainder of the butter, add the 3 tbsp of flour and stir constantly. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the chicken stock, sherry and the white wine. 6. Stir the liquids into the flour and butter mixture continuously and bring to the boil. A thick sauce will form. Once the sauce begins to bubble, boil for 1 minute further, stirring constantly. 7. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken pieces, peas, thyme and parsley and mix well. Carefully stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. 8. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the carrots, onion and parsnip. 9. Roll out the pastry using the inverted pie dish as a guide. 10. Transfer the sauce mixture to a 3 pint pie dish, spreading the mixture evenly over the base of the dish.

11. Cover the pie dish with the pastry (see our section on pastry techniques: covering a pie dish)

and cut two slits in the top of the pastry lid to allow the steam to escape. 12. Seal the rim of the pastry to the dish by pressing the back of a fork down onto the pastry all the way around the edge. This will also make a nice decorative pattern. 13. With the remaining pastry cut out several shapes using a sharp knife and position them on top of the pastry cover. 14. Lightly beat the egg together with the milk and brush the mixture over the pastry cover. 15. Place the pie dish into the preheated oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown in colour. Copyright 2001-2010 helpwithcooking.com

Chicken and Leek Pie

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry made with 6 oz (170 g) of plain flour, 3 oz (85 g) of butter, 1 -2 tbsp of iced water and a pinch of salt (see guide to shortcrust pastry). For the filling o 1 small chicken (preferably organic) o 4 oz (115 g) of cooked ham o 6 leeks o 1 onion o 1 stalk of chopped celery o 2 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley o bouquet of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf) o salt and pepper

Method 1. Place the whole chicken into a large pot for making soup. Add the whole onion, celery, herbs and salt and pepper. 2. Cover the chicken with water and cook on a medium heat until the chicken is cooked and the liquid has reduced to form a rich stock. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Save the chicken stock for later. 3. Skin the chicken, remove the breasts, legs and wings and cut the chicken meat into small pieces. Set aside. 4. Cut the cooked ham into small pieces also. 5. Preheat the oven to 425F/220C. 6. Chop the leeks into round slices and steam or boil for a few minutes until tender. 7. Place the chicken pieces, ham and leeks into the bottom of a pie dish, sprinkle with the fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper. 8. Remove the layer of fat from the chicken stock with a spoon and pour some of the stock over the chicken, ham and leeks, until it just reaches the top of the filling. 9. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cover the pie dish with the pastry (for detailed instructions see pastry techniques: covering a pie dish). 10. Brush the top of the pastry with a little beaten egg and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes. After this time, reduce the heat to 350F/180C and bake for a further 15 - 20 minutes. 11. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Shortcrust pastry is made with twice the amount of flour to fat and the texture of the pastry largely depends on which type of fat is used and how it is integrated into the flour. A good pastry requires very little handling indeed, which sometimes can be quite tricky. Below is some helpful information about the ingredients and techniques used to make a "perfect" shortcrust pastry, followed by a simple recipe. Copyright 2001-2010 helpwithcooking.com

Flour
The first item you will need to make a shortcrust pastry is flour. This flour will always be a soft plain flour ideal for cakes and pastries, rather than the stronger type of flour used to make bread. Do not use really old flour; the best results are obtained with a fairly fresh batch of plain flour. Although shourtcrust pastry does not rise during baking, it is imperative that lots of air is incorporated into the pastry dough, so that the pastry is kept light. One of the most important factors is to keep all ingredients as cold as possible, therefore if you live in a particularly warm country or are working in a warm kitchen, it may be an idea to place the flour and bowl in the refrigerator for 10 - 15 minutes before starting. To make the pastry, start of by sifting the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Hold the sieve as high as possible over the bowl when sifting the flour, to incorporate as much air as you can.

 Copyright 2001-2010 helpwithcooking.com

Shortening (fat)
Usually an equal amount of butter and lard is used to make shortcrust pastry. The butter gives the pastry a deliciously rich flavour, whilst the lard is used for optimum texture. The amount of fat should be half that of the flour. Whichever type of fat you use, it should be cold, but not too cold so that it is impossible to rub into the flour. On the other hand, if the fat is too soft and warm, it will begin to melt and become oily, which will result in a pastry that does not stay intact when it is being rolled out. The fat may become warm from taking too long to rub it into the flour, which could also happen if the fat is too cold. For the best pastry results, you have to work quickly and therefore the temperature of the fat must be taken into consideration. The second stage of pastry making is to add the fat to the flour and salt. For shortcrust pastry particularly, the fat must be cut into small pieces and added to the flour. Then, using a knife or even better, a pastry blender (see introduction to pastry), cut the fat into even smaller pieces with the flour until the mixture looks fairly even and all the fat has been coated. Finish off by quickly and lightly rubbing the fat into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, lifting the mixture as high as possible and letting it fall into the bowl, to incorporate even more air. If the mixture starts to warm up or the fat becomes oily, place it in the fridge for the necessary amount of time to cool the ingredients down a bit. Copyright 2001-2010 helpwithcooking.com

Adding the liquid

For shortcrust pastry you will always be required to use water rather than any other type of liquid. Ensure that the water is chilled beforehand and remember that only a small amount of water, a few tablespoons, is required. Once your flour and fat mixture resembles breadcrumbs, begin by evenly sprinkling one or two tablespoons of water over the flour mixture. If a mistake is made and too much water is added, this will turn the pastry into a sticky mess, making it almost impossible to roll out. However, if not enough water is added, the baked pastry will crumble and fall to pieces. Once the liquid has been added, the mixture needs to be brought together to form a dough. The best method is by using a knife rather than your fingers to start with, as the pastry should be handled very little. Work the knife using cutting and stirring motions, and the mixture should start to come together. Finish off by pressing the ingredients together with your fingers, adding more water if necessary, until the bowl has been completely cleaned and a nice and smooth ball of dough has been formed. Copyright 2001-2010 helpwithcooking.com

Resting the pastry

It is really important to give the pastry a rest before rolling it out, so that the gluten in the flour has enough time to react with the water and gain elasticity, which will make rolling the pastry out that much easier. Wrap the pasty dough ball in cling film and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you are not going to use the pastry immediately, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.