Recipes

From Pie by Angela Boggiano. This pie recipe is given a herbal lift by the classic herb, tarragon.

Serves 4-6

For the pastry

    400g/13oz rich shortcrust pastry
    Beaten egg, to glaze

For the filling

    1.5kg/3lb free-range chicken
    1 carrot, roughly chopped
    2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
    2 onions, finely chopped
    4 sprigs tarragon
    1 tbsp olive oil
    Knob of butter
    2 leeks, finely sliced
    150ml/¼ pint white wine
    2 tbsp plain flour
    150ml/¼ pint single cream
    Grated zest of ½ lemon
    Salt and ground black pepper

Method

Place the chicken in a large saucepan with the carrot, celery, 1 of the onions and 3 tarragon sprigs. Season with a little salt and pepper and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool. Return the stock to the hob and simmer gently for a further 30 minutes until it is reduced by half.

Meanwhile heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan, add the leeks and the remaining onion and gently cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Turn up the heat to high, add the wine and simmer rapidly for 3–4 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the flour and mix well in the pan for l minute. Pour in the cream, about 150ml/¼ pint of the reduced chicken stock and the lemon zest. Season with a little salt and plenty of ground black pepper.

Remove the meat from the cooled chicken carcass and chop or shred into small pieces. Add this and the remaining tarragon, chopped, to the leek and cream mixture and stir together. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat.

Line the base of a 30 x 20cm/12 x 8in rectangular or 26cm/10½in round pie tin with two-thirds of the pastry and fill with the chicken mixture. Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid and lay over the filling, crimping the edges of the pastry with your fingertips to seal. Trim away any excess and brush with beaten egg to glaze. Place on the baking tray and bake for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.