Hearty Chicken and Veg Pie Recipe

A pie is something I hardly ever make.

For one, I do not eat meat, so apart from a vegetable pie, a fish pie would be the only other thing I would eat, and I can’t seem to find the patience of putting fresh fish into a pie when I can have it fried/grilled/baked instead.

Plus, I would be afraid of overcooking the fish.

To be honest, when I think of a pie, all I can think of is that red meat Mrs. Mac’s pie’s that my brother would demolish after his footy game on a Saturday when we were kids.

Or the Mrs Mac pie that we would stop by the servo and buy on the way home from a family holiday during the long drive home. Here I would be trapped in a car marinating in the distinct Mrs Mac’s pie smell, and trying to avoid that little tomato sauce squirter container that my bro would be covering his pie in, to the point where it resembled a big red mound of sauce.

For these reasons, you can understand why my relationship with pies is non-existent and relates to not very fond memories.

Dating a male, I came to the conclusion that a pie would be something that would appeal to men, as the positive memories from those childhood footy games and the pure indulgence of red meat, sauce and crispy golden brown pastry is something most people (and definitely men) cannot deny loving.

The saying: “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”  becomes FACT here.

This Chicken Pie recipe is simple, hearty, delicious and you can alter it to what’s in your fridge. Plus, it will make any man (or meaty-pie lover), weak at their knees!

Cudo’s to Jamie Oliver for this recipe!

*Note, I have amended this recipe and added more vegetables, as the original recipe simple had mushrooms and chicken - which would also be delicious!

Jamie Oliver- Chicken &Veg Pie

From Jamie Oliver's 30min Meals Cookbook

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 30

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 x Chicken Thigh fillet (about 720g)

1 onion

2 cloves garlic
a knob of butter/oil

500g pumpkin

3 potatoes

2 carrots

2 stalks celery
a bunch of spring onions/scallions
150g Button mushrooms
5 heaped tablespoons of flour

2 tablespoons English Mustard
1L of Chicken Stock/Broth
a few sprigs of fresh thyme

200ml sour cream/ creme fraiche
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 sheet of pre-rolled puff pastry
1 egg

Directions

1.    Put the chicken breasts on a plastic board and chop into 1cm strips. Chop onion and crush garlic. Put a glug of olive oil and a knob of butter into a hot, large large wide pan (on stove). Add the onion and garlic and cook until brown.

2.    Then add chicken and cook for 3 min or so.

3.    Meanwhile, chop pumpkin, potatoes, carrots and when chicken is cooked, add pumpkin, potatoes and carrots.

4.    Trim the spring onions and wash then mushrooms, then slice and add to the pan with 2 heaped tablespoon of flour and stir.

5.     Add 2 tablespoons of mustard, 1 heaped tablespoon of creme fraiche and 300ml of chicken stock and stir well. Add 3 extra tbs flour.

6.    Pick the thyme leaves and stir into the pan with the nutmeg, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Leave to simmer until all veggies are cooked. Add more stock if needed.

7.    Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and unroll the puff pastry. Use a small knife to lightly crisscross and score it.

8.    Take the pan with the chicken off the heat. Tip the filling into an overproof baking dish, that is slightly smaller than the sheet of pastry.

9.    Cover the filling with the pastry sheet, tucking it in at the edges.

10.  Quickly beat the egg, and then brush it over the top of the pie.

11.  Put into the oven to cook on the top shelf for around 25min, or until golden.