Chicken and egg pie

By Alastair Hendy



chick and egg pie

Makes 2 pies, each serving 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 x 1.5kg chicken
  • few sprigs parsley and thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 large onion peeled and halved
  • salt and black pepper
  • 300g flaked cooked ham
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • finely grated zest of ½ lemon
  • grating fresh nutmeg
  • butter for greasing
  • 2 x 375g packs shortcrust pastry or
    2 quantities home-made pie crust
    (see note, below)
  • 2 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
  • You will also need 2 x loose-bottom pie or cake tins, 10cm across x 9cm deep, and
    a small funnel

METHOD

  1. First poach the chicken. Place it in a lidded pan that holds it snugly, cover with water, bring to the boil and skim off any flotsam. Tie the herbs and bay leaves with string and add to the pan with the halved onion. Season well, cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
  2. Remove the chicken from its cooking liquid and leave to cool. Discard the onion and herbs, measure out 500ml of cooking liquid and boil this until reduced to yield 250ml of well-flavoured stock. Allow to cool then chill.
  3. Pull the chicken meat into small chunks (discarding the bones and skin), and combine with the ham, parsley, lemon zest, a grating of nutmeg, and some salt and pepper.
  4. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/325F/gas 5. Lightly grease the pie or cake tins.
    Roll out the pastry (see note below) and line the pie tins, trimming off the overhang and leaving a lip. Cut two pastry lids to fit, re-rolling the dough as necessary.
  5. Fill the lined tins with the chicken and ham mixture, placing a whole egg in the centre of each one. Brush the pastry overhang with water, then press the lids on top to seal, and trim the edges. Make a funnel-sized hole in the middle of each lid.
  6. Bake the pies for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins. When cold, using the funnel, pour the reduced stock into the pies through the holes in the tops. Refrigerate overnight, when the stock will set into a jelly. Remove the pies from the tins
    to serve.


NOTE For an old-fashioned home-made pie crust, rub 135g lard into 270g plain flour with a good pinch of salt and then gradually work in 75ml water to make a pliable dough. Do not refrigerate before rolling out. When ready to use, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of two stacked £1 coins. If using bought shortcrust pastry, roll it out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Ready-rolled bought pastry can be used as it comes.

 

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