Packed with flavour, this chicken & ham pie is the perfect family comfort food to tuck into.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 850ml chicken stock
- 50g butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 50g plain flour
- 300ml milk
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 4 slices of ham, cut into thick strips
- 500g ready-to-roll shortcrust pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
Method
- Take a large pan and throw in the chicken, carrots, potatoes, celery and half the thyme. Add in the chicken stock and bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 15 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large bowl, and pour in the pan contents. Remove the thyme, then reserve 600ml of the cooking stock.
- Return the empty pan to the heat, and pop in the butter. Once melted, add the onions and cook until soft, then stir in the flour and a little stock at a time until you have a thick, smooth sauce. Pour in the milk and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining thyme, lemon juice and parsley, then season to taste.
- Mix together the chicken, vegetables and ham in an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce and leave to cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180° fan / Gas mark 6.
- Roll out the pastry to around 5cm larger in circumference than the pie dish, and brush with the beaten egg. Lay gently on top of the pie mix, and press the edges to seal. Make a couple of small incisions in the centre to allow steam to escape, and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Image source: mikafotostok via Getty images.