Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• For the pastry: 350 g all-purpose wheat flour
• 230 g cold butter, cubed, divided
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 90 mL ice water
• For the filling: 500 g cooked chicken, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 large potato (about 250 g), diced
• 100 g frozen peas
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 40 g all-purpose wheat flour (for the sauce)
• 500 mL milk
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Method

1. 1Rub 200 g of the butter into 350 g of the flour with 1/2 tsp salt until pea-size pieces remain. Add the ice water a spoonful at a time until it holds together. Split in two, flatten, wrap and chill 1 hour.
2. 2Roast the chicken until it reaches 74 °C in the thickest part, cool and dice. (Or poach and dice thighs.)
3. 3Simmer the carrots and potato in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain.
4. 4Melt the remaining 30 g butter and cook the onion for 6 minutes. Stir in the 40 g flour for 2 minutes, then whisk in the milk a little at a time.
5. 5Simmer the sauce 5 minutes until thick, stirring. Add the thyme and 1/2 tsp salt.
6. 6Fold in the chicken, carrots, potato and peas. Spread in a shallow pan and chill until under 5 °C, within 2 hours.
7. 7Roll the bottom crust into a 20 cm pie dish. Fill with the cold filling, cover with the top crust, crimp and cut vents. Brush with a little milk.
8. 8Wrap the unbaked pie, label with the date and freeze flat.