The easiest and most delicious pie in the world.

Yesterday was our friend Nicks last day in Australia, so as a farewell dinner i knocked up my favorite chicken pie.

Here's what i did.


Purchase the following from your friendly local supermarket -

(This recipe makes about four decent sized individual pies or two GIANT ones)

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 30g butter
• 500g chicken breast fillet, cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbs flour
• 1/3 cup (80ml) white wine or water (I'm cheap, so i used water only)
  
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
• 1/2 cup (125ml) thick cream
• 1 large carrot, peeled, cooked, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled, boiled, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas, cooked
• 1 tbs chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
• 4 sheets puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

I like to have everything chopped and ready before i start cooking. Also, if i have everything in front of me in neat, little bowls when i cook i feel like a television presenter on a cooking show.
(I may sometimes narrate out loud.....SHHH)


Leeks, potato, garlic and carrot.


Flour, cream, peas, beaten egg and chicken stock ready for action. (I actually ran out of flour last night so i just used corn flour. I have no idea of the difference between corn and plain flour for savory foods because the pies tasted delicious, so if someone would like to enlighten me - please do!)

Preheat your oven until it is nice and hot.
Have your potatoes and carrot boiling away in a small pot. (I used butter and a little salt in the water too make the veggies all tasty-like - You can use oil if you are trying to be good) Place the butter and oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken pieces. Once cooked, put the chicken to one side to rest, drain the veggie water and let them chill out with the chicken.





Add the leek and the garlic to the hot pan, you may need to add a little more oil. Cook for a few minutes until they are nice and soft and that delicious garlic smell starts wafting through the house.
Add the flour, and water and cook for one minute. Stir in the stock and cream and bring to a boil for another couple of minutes.



Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots and tarragon and season well. Let that cook for another minute. The smell will be driving you crazy at the moment, feel free to sneak a taste and add more salt or pepper until it is too your liking then set aside to cool.




Cut one thick strip (4cm) off the side of each sheet of puff pastry and put it to the side. Dollop a generous portion of the cooled mixture in the middle of each bit of pastry and bring the four corners up together (If you twist them all together it looks really pretty at the end). Press any holes together with your fingers to ensure that none of the mixture escapes and brush over each pie with the egg mix. Don't forget to pierce a few holes in each one with a fork so things don't get messy when you cook them.




Bang them in the oven for at least 20 minutes, checking them when they start turning a delicious golden brown. Allow the pies to cool for a few minutes before you serve them because the pie mix is ridiculously hot.

Serve with salad, chips, veggies - anything!
(bang a few in the freezer and microwave them in a few days for a quick, delicious lunch)

And Enjoy!




Oh, don't forget the washing up.