Hairy Bikers Chicken And Tarragon Pie Recipes

CHICKEN AND WILD MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• For the pastry, pulse the flour, baking powder, salt, butter and egg yolk in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing continuously until the mixture just comes together as a dough. (You may not need to use all the water.) Roll the dough into a ball, then wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour. Meanwhile, for the filling, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the chicken pieces and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until browned. Add the wine, water, tarragon and thyme, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by half and the chicken is cooked through. Heat the remaining olive oil in a separate frying pan over a medium heat, add the mushrooms, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the cooked chicken from the frying pan with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl, then add two spoonfuls of the residual juices from that pan. Add the mushrooms, then stir in the soured cream until well combined. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Grease a deep 20cm/8in pie tin with butter. Add a small amount of flour, then turn the tin to coat the base and sides, shaking out any excess. When the pastry has chilled, roll out two thirds of it onto a clean, floured work surface, until it is almost twice as wide as the diameter of the tin. Using the rolling pin, lift the pastry and lay it over the pie tin to line the base and sides. Gently press the pastry into the corners of the tin, trimming off any excess, then prick the base of the pastry case several times with a fork. Cover the pastry with a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill it with rice or dried beans. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry is pale golden-brown. Remove from the oven, discard the beans and greaseproof paper and set the pastry aside to cool. When cool, pour the pie filling into the pastry case. Roll the remaining one third of the pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface until it is a little bit larger than the diameter of the pie tin. Brush the rim of the cooked pastry case with some of the beaten egg and place the pastry lid on top of the pie. Trim off any excess pastry. Seal the pastry lid to the pastry case by crimping the edges of the pastry lid with a fork. With a knife, make two small holes in the centre of the pastry lid to allow steam to escape. Brush the pastry lid with the remaining beaten egg, then transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden-brown.

HAIRY BIKERS' CHICKEN AND TARRAGON PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat, then add the onion and the crushed garlic. Fry gently for 5-6 minutes until the onion is softened, but not coloured, stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the white wine, then crumble the stock cube into the pan and stir well until it dissolves. Simmer over a high heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid has reduced by half and thickened. Remove from the heat.
• Take the skin off the chicken, then strip the meat from the bones and tear it into bite-sized pieces. Place these in a large bowl. Add the onion and garlic mixture and spoon the crème fraiche on top. Scatter over the tarragon, sprinkle the flour on top and season with a good pinch of sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Toss everything together until just combined, then spoon into your pie dish. Preheat the oven to 210°C/420°F/Gas Mark 6½.
• Now for the topping. Brush a sheet of filo pastry with melted butter and cut it into 6. Scrunch up each portion with your hands and place it on top of the filling. Repeat with the remaining sheets of filo until the filling is completely covered.
• Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until the filo pastry topping is crisp and golden brown and the filling is bubbling beautifully.

HAIRY BIKERS' CREAMY CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Heat the chicken stock in a lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breast and bring to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the water with tongs and place on a plate. Pour the cooking liquor into a large jug.
• Melt 25g/1oz of the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Slowly pour the milk into the pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each adding. Gradually add 250ml/10fl oz of the reserved stock and the wine, if using, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat.
• For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend on the pulse setting until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the beaten egg and water and blend until the mixture forms a ball. Portion off 250g/9oz pastry for the lid.
• Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around 5mm/¼in thick and 4cm/1½in larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides.
• Cut the chicken breasts into 3cm/1¼in pieces. Stir the chicken and ham into the cooled sauce. Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. Roll out the reserved pastry for the lid.
• Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry.
• Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. Bake on the preheated tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.