← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 800 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts
• 500 ml Milk
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 3 sprigs Thyme
• 50 g Butter
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 Carrot, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 50 g plain flour
• 150 g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (about 320 g)
• 1 Eggs, beaten

Method

1. Put the chicken, milk, stock and thyme in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Poach for 15 min, until cooked through (75°C / 165°F). Lift out the chicken, cut it into bite-sized pieces and keep the poaching liquid; discard the thyme stalks.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion, carrots and celery for 8 min, until softened. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the poaching liquid. Simmer for 3–4 min, stirring, until thick and smooth.
4. Stir in the chicken, peas, mustard, salt and pepper. Tip into a 2-litre pie dish and leave to cool for 15 min, so it doesn’t melt the pastry.
5. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lay the pastry over the dish, trim and press the edges to seal, cut a few slits in the top and brush with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 30–35 min, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. Rest for 10 min before serving.

Tips

• Use leftover roast or rotisserie chicken to save time: skip the poaching and use 750 ml of milk and stock combined.
• Make the filling a day ahead and keep it in the fridge; add the pastry just before baking.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats BBC Good Food