Cider chicken and bacon pie with crushed new potato topping
Serves: 6
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Photograph by Dan Jones
Cider chicken and bacon pie with crushed new potato topping
Recipe by Lucy Jessop
Serves: 6
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
500Kcal
Fat
26gr
Saturates
11gr
Carbs
30gr
Sugars
7gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
32gr
Salt
1.8gr
Lucy Jessop
Lucy, our former Food Editor creates lots of delicious meals each month. Her recipes are always packed with flavour and they're super easy too!
See more of Lucy Jessop’s recipes
Lucy Jessop
Lucy, our former Food Editor creates lots of delicious meals each month. Her recipes are always packed with flavour and they're super easy too!
See more of Lucy Jessop’s recipes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 x 615g pack skinless and boneless chicken thigh fillets
- 2 tbsp plain flour, plus ½ tbsp
- 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped
- 25g butter
- 1 x 500ml bottle cider
- 200ml chicken stock
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 3 tbsp double cream
- 100g fresh or (defrosted) frozen peas
For the topping:
- 750g new potatoes
- 25g butter
- 1 bunch of spring onions (about 8), trimmed and finely sliced
Step by step
Get ahead
Make the pie up to a day ahead, cool, cover and chill. Bake from chilled for 45 minutes until piping hot right through. The assembled pie can be cooled and frozen before baking; defrost and bake to serve.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, preferably nonstick casserole. Add the onion, celery and garlic, and cook gently, covered, for 10 minutes until soft, then transfer to a plate.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, removing any sinew or large pieces of fat as you go. Put the chicken in a bowl with 2 tablespoons plain flour; season. Toss to coat. Add the rest of the oil to the pan; fry the chicken over a high heat for 5-6 minutes until browned, stirring once or twice. Add the bacon; cook until turning crispy. In a separate pan, boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until tender.
- With the casserole still on the heat, stir in the butter and the remaining ½ tablespoon flour. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, then pour in the cider in stages, stirring between each addition. Add the stock, rosemary and the onion mixture, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pan, add the butter and spring onions; season. Gently squash the potatoes with a masher – you want them to keep their shape a bit.
- Season the sauce, stir in the double cream and peas. Remove from the heat and transfer to a baking dish; spoon over the potatoes.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until pale golden and bubbling around the edges. Loosely cover with foil halfway through if it's browning too quickly.
