Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Butter Crust

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour (maida), plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp fine salt, for the crust
• 180 g cold unsalted butter, cubed, for the crust
• 6 tbsp ice-cold water, for the crust
• 600 g boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 1 tsp salt, divided between chicken and sauce
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp butter, for the filling
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp plain flour (maida), for the sauce
• 350 ml chicken stock
• 250 ml full-fat milk
• 100 ml cooking cream
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for egg wash

Instructions

1. Make the filling first so it can cool while the dough chills. Season the chicken pieces with half the salt and all the black pepper. Melt 1 tbsp of the filling butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes until white on the outside. Transfer with its juices to a bowl.
2. In the same pan, melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 7-8 minutes until soft and the onion is translucent, then stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle the 4 tbsp flour over the vegetables and stir for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw taste. Slowly pour in the stock, then the milk, stirring constantly so no lumps form.
4. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the cream, thyme, nutmeg, remaining salt, the chicken with its juices and the peas, and let the chicken finish cooking in the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a shallow dish and leave to cool while you make the crust.
5. Make the crust: whisk 300 g flour and 0.5 tsp salt in a large bowl. Rub in the cold cubed butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized lumps.
6. Sprinkle over the ice-cold water 1 tbsp at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough just holds together when squeezed. Divide into two pieces, one slightly larger, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. The filling should be cool by the end of this time.
7. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and place a baking tray on the middle shelf. Roll the larger dough disc on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick and 30 cm wide. Lift it into the pie dish, press into the corners and leave the edge overhanging. Spoon in the cooled filling.
8. Roll out the second disc to fit the top. Brush the rim of the base with egg wash, lay the lid on top, then trim and crimp the edges to seal. Cut 3-4 slits in the centre for steam and brush the whole top with egg wash.
9. Set the pie on the hot baking tray and bake for 40 minutes until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles through the slits. If the edge browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil.
10. Rest the pie for 10 minutes before slicing so the filling thickens slightly and holds its shape on the plate.

Tips

• Keep the butter and water cold; warm butter makes a tough, greasy crust instead of a flaky one.
• Cool the filling before it goes into the pastry, otherwise the base can turn soggy.
• Check that the chicken is fully cooked at 74°C in the centre; the pie bakes long enough for this, but small pieces cook fastest.
• Do not overwork the dough. A few streaks of butter are fine and give flakiness.