Ready for eating!

Oven Temperature 200 degrees Celsius

Makes approx. 4 pies

Ingredients:

• 1 large rasher of bacon, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 spring onions, sliced (saving green portion to add at the end)
• 1 stick celery, sliced (save the leaves for flavouring later in recipe)
• 150 grams sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 2 cups (400-500 grams) cooked chicken or turkey
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 sheet of puff pastry cut into 4 squares
• 1 tablespoon milk

Some of the ingredients you will need for your pot pie

Method:

In a large saute pan over medium heat, fry off bacon until slightly crisp.  Add onion, whites of the spring onion, and celery (adding a small amount of olive oil if needed) and cook through until vegetables have softened (5-10 minutes).  Add mushrooms and garlic and continue to saute until mushrooms soften slightly.

Cooking up your bacon and vegetables

Season with pepper, add the flour and stir through, add mustard, paprika and Worcestershire sauce stirring again to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Slowly add chicken stock and white wine, whisking out any lumps before bringing to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until sauce reduces and thickens (about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally).

Making the gravy or sauce

Add the spring onion tops, celery leaves, thyme, parsley and bay leaf.  Simmer for a further 15 minutes before adding the cream, chicken and peas.  At this stage check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Now that looks the the makings of a good pot pie

Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the peas and chicken are warmed through.  If the sauce becomes too thick add a little more chicken stock and stir through.

In the meantime place the 4 squares of puff pastry on a lined baking sheet (lined with baking paper).  Using a pastry brush, brush the pastry with milk and sprinkle with extra paprika.  Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until puffed and golden.

Puff pastry ready for baking

Warm 4 ramekin style bowls, fill with chicken mixture (don’t forget to remove the bay leaf!) and top with cooked pastry.  Serve with your choice of vegetables.

Serve in warmed ramekins

Hints:

You can use other fresh herbs like Tarragon and chives to add different flavours.

You can also use cider instead of wine for a more fruity flavour.

I am known for not letting anything go to waste so I often chop up leftover vegetables (roast, boiled) and add them to the mixture with the peas and chicken.

Adding the salt and pepper towards of the end of cooking helps you to season your mixture correctly as the bacon can be salty, as can the chicken stock.

If you don’t want to top your mixture with pastry you can always top it with mashed potato (like a Shepherds Pie) and place under the grill to brown the top.

Add some roast vegetables and your are ready for a hearty meal