Chicken Pot Pie
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus cooling time
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Feeds: 4 people
- 1 cup/150g/5ozs. diced carrots
- 2 cups/300g/10ozs. diced zucchini
- 4 tablespoons/80ml/3flozs. oil
- 2 onions, peeled and finely diced
- 50g/1.7ozs butter
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
- 2 teaspoons/4g/0.16 oz. curry powder
- 500g/1.1lbs chicken or turkey meat, thighs or breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons/16g/0.28 oz. flour
- 1 cup/250ml/8.8flozs. milk (full cream)
- 1 cup/150g/5ozs. frozen peas
- 1 cup/175g/6ozs. drained tinned corn
- 2 sprigs parsley, leaves only, chopped
- 1/2 cup/50g/1.7ozs. grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 sheet/180g/6ozs. butter puff pastry
- 2 tablespoons egg wash (egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with parchment. Place carrots and zucchini on they tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and bake for 25 minutes. While it is baking start on the rest of the filling as you will need to set aside time for it to cool.
Step 2 - Heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and saute until soft and fragrant. Add a quarter of the butter and add garlic and fry for a minute and add the curry powder and fry for a minute and then add the chicken and saute until cooked - you don't need to brown the chicken, just cook it through.
Step 3 - Then push the chicken to one side of the pan and add the rest of the butter to melt completely. Add the flour to the melted butter to make a roux and mix and then add the milk to the roux and allow to thicken and become creamy. Add the peas, corn, parsley and cheese. When the carrot and zucchini are done add to the mix and season and then allow to cool completely. I often put this in the baking dish to cool and then cover it and pop it in the fridge for the next day when I put the pastry on top.
Step 4 - Trim a sheet of puff pastry to fit on top of the baking dish. Cut out a hole (I used a chicken cutter) and brush with the egg wash. Place in the fridge while the oven gets to 220C/440F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.