Name: Chicken Pie
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken; 200 g shallots, for garnish; 200 g lardons; 200 g button mushrooms; 10 g flat-leaf parsley; 10 g tarragon; 100 g shallots, for sauce; 1 garlic clove; 300 ml dry white wine; 1 bay leaf; 1 rosemary sprig; 3 thyme sprigs; 800 ml double chicken stock; 500 ml double cream; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp Marmite; 25 g chicken fat, reserved from roasting; 25 g plain flour; Puff pastry (about two-thirds for lining and one-third for lid; amount depends on dish); Unsalted butter, as needed for roasting garnish; 2 egg yolks, for egg wash; Olive oil and salt, for roasting

Method

16 steps

Set oven to 190C.
Flip the chicken over so the breasts are on the board and parson’s nose is pointing towards you.
With scissors, cut through the ribs on either side of the parson’s nose, from just to one side of it to the neck, then repeat on the other side to fully release the spine.
Turn the chicken over and firmly press it down so that the chicken legs splay and the chicken flattens out.
Pat the chicken and the backbone dry, place in a roasting tray, rub the skin with olive oil and salt, and roast for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear from the thickest part. Remove from oven and allow to rest.
Peel and cut the shallots into 2cm chunks, quarter the button mushrooms, and finely slice the pancetta.
Add a dash of olive oil to a frying pan and on medium heat, sauté shallots and pancetta until golden.
Crush the garlic and add to the pan with shallots, cooking until fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with white wine, reduce by 2/3, then add chicken stock and roasted bones, simmer and reduce by half.
Roast garnish (shallots, mushrooms, bacon) in reserved chicken fat until crispy.
Chop cooked chicken into large chunks and set aside.
Pass the sauce through a sieve, then add cooked garnish and chicken chunks.
Add dijon mustard and marmite to the sauce, then create a slurry with flour and chicken fat (beurre manié) and whisk into the sauce to thicken.
Finish with chopped parsley and tarragon, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool.
Line the pie dish with pastry, fill with cooled chicken filling, then cover with pastry lid, sealing edges and cutting a slit in the center for steam.
Brush the pastry with beaten egg yolks and bake at 190C for 35 minutes or until golden and puffed.