Herby spring chicken pie
Serves: 6
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Herby spring chicken pie
Fresh herbs, peas and lemon zest add a lighter spring feel to the traditional chicken pie. For a simple yet impressive decorative topping, use small heart cutters to stamp out shapes from the pastry trimmings. Serve with seasonal greens of your choice for a scrumptious family Sunday lunch
Serves: 6
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
583Kcal
Fat
30gr
Saturates
18gr
Carbs
43gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
5gr
Protein
32gr
Salt
1.4gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 30g butter
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 1 large leek, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 x 640g pack chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips
- 30g plain flour
- 250ml chicken stock (made using ½ stock pot or cube)
- 150g lighter crème fraîche
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ x 20g pack tarragon, leaves chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
- 150g frozen peas
For the pastry
- 250g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 125g cold butter, diced
- 1 medium egg, plus extra egg to glaze
Step by step
Get ahead
Assemble the pie, cover and chill up to 24 hours ahead. Bake from chilled, adding an extra 10-15 minutes cooking time, or until piping hot.
- For the pastry, put the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat together 1 egg and 3 tablespoons of cold water, then gradually add this to the flour mixture, stirring with a table knife. When the pastry sticks together in clumps, knead it lightly until it forms a ball. Shape into a flat disc, wrap and chill for at least an hour while you make and cool the filling.
- Heat the butter in a large sauté pan and gently cook the onion and leek for 8-10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Increase to a high heat, add the chicken, season and fry until sealed on all sides, 6-8 minutes (it doesn’t need to be cooked through). Stir in the flour and cook out for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the stock, stirring, until combined. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, uncovered. Stir through the crème fraîche, mustard, zest, herbs and peas. Season well and transfer to a 1.5-1.7 litre pie dish to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3-5mm. Brush the rim of the pie dish with beaten egg and lay the pastry lid on top of the filling. Use your fingertips or the end of a fork to crimp and seal the edges. Trim away excess pastry and use the trimmings to cut heart-shape decorations, if you like. Brush the lid with the beaten egg, make a steam hole in the centre and bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
