Chicken and Wild Garlic Pie

Drogo

Servings

4-6

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Chicken and wild garlic pie is a lighter, more spring-like take on the British classic, swapping a full pastry case for a single crisp golden pastry lid that keeps the dish on the relaxed side of comforting. This wild garlic chicken pie sits pieces of tender chicken in a creamy, gently flavoured sauce woven through with foraged wild garlic, which brings a clean, mildly alliaceous note that lifts the whole dish out of pub-pie territory. The filling takes well to variation, working just as happily with the addition of asparagus, broccoli, soft leeks or a handful of mushrooms when they are in season. A solid creamy chicken pie for a Sunday lunch, a relaxed dinner-party main or a substantial midweek dinner.

Chicken and Wild Garlic Pie

Ingredients

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    • 320g ready rolled puff pastry

    • 150g wild garlic, finely sliced

    • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced

    • 2 onions (1 diced, 1 cut in half)
    • 100g frozen peas
    • 500ml whole milk

    • 50g butter

    • 50g plain flour
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 clove
    • 1 egg, beaten

    Directions

    1. Step 1, Combine the milk, onion, bay leaves and cloves in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes, covered. Strain.

    2. Step 2, Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir continuously to make a roux, letting the flour cook out for a couple of minutes, until it smells nutty.

    3. Step 3, Gradually add the milk to the roux, stirring continuously until smooth and thickened, around 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

    4. Step 4, Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until soft but not coloured, around 10 minutes. Add the diced chicken pieces, and cook until browned all over and almost cooked through.

    5. Step 5, Preheat the oven to 200C.

    6. Step 6, Combine the chicken mixture with the bechamel, wild garlic and peas and use it to fill the pie dish.

    7. Step 7, Roll the puff pastry out a little larger than your dish and lay it on top, cutting a slit in the top. Crimp the edges, brush with beaten egg and lay a few wild garlic leaves on top, to decorate. Brush with egg again.

    8. Step 8, Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.