Chicken Pot Pie

Making Chicken Pot Pie

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1. Season the chicken and brown it in half the butter over high heat, in two batches, for 4 minutes a batch. Set aside — it does not need to be cooked through.

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2. Add the remaining butter, then the onion, carrot and celery, and cook 8 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until their liquid has evaporated.

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3. Sprinkle over the flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it coats everything and smells biscuity.

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4. Add the hot stock in three additions, whisking smooth after each, and simmer 6 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon heavily.

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5. Stir in the cream, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper, then return the chicken with any juices and add the peas. Simmer 5 minutes.

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6. Tip the filling into a 2 litre pie dish and cool completely, moving it to the fridge within 2 hours, then chill at least 1 hour. This step is what keeps the pastry crisp.

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7. Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Roll the pastry to fit with a 2 cm overhang.

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8. Brush the rim of the dish with egg wash, lay the pastry over, press to seal, trim and crimp. Cut a 2 cm cross in the centre.

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9. Brush all over with egg wash and bake 35 to 40 minutes until deep gold and puffed. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Notes for Getting It Right

• Chill the filling. Every soggy pot pie base traces back to warm filling meeting cold pastry.
• The sauce should be thicker than you think in the pan — it loosens in the oven as the vegetables release moisture.
• A pie funnel or a simple cross-shaped vent stops the lid ballooning and then collapsing.

Swaps and Variations

• In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.

Serving Suggestions

• Buttered green beans or a simple salad
• Mashed potato, if you want maximum comfort
• A medium Chardonnay

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Artisan Sourdough Bread, New York Bagels, Boston Baked Beans.

Storing & Reheating Chicken Pot Pie

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat uncovered at 180°C / 350°F for 25 minutes. Freeze unbaked for 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 20 minutes.

Questions About Chicken Pot Pie

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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