This delicious chicken and bacon pie is a perfect family meal with a golden, crispy lattice pastry top. It’s rich, comforting, and packed with flavor! Using store-bought puff pastry makes it quick and easy, but you can also just cover the pie with a full pastry sheet if you’re short on time.
Ingredients Needed
- 6 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick), skin removed
- 4 celery sticks, diced
- 4 bay leaves, roughly sliced
- 200ml (7fl oz) white wine
- 300ml (10fl oz) chicken stock
- 250g (9oz) smoked back bacon (about 7 rashers), cut into small pieces
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 50g (2oz) butter
- 60g (2½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tbsp full-fat crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp grainy mustard
- 2 × 375g packets of ready-rolled, all-butter puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Chicken and Bacon Pie
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. You will need a 1.75-litre (3-pint) shallow ovenproof dish, about 25cm (10in) in diameter.
- Cook the chicken: Place the chicken legs, celery, and bay leaves in a large ovenproof saucepan. Pour in the white wine and stock, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30–40 minutes until the chicken is tender. Let it cool.
- Prepare the chicken: Once cooled, remove the meat from the bones and break it into bite-sized pieces. Strain the cooking liquid, keeping the celery but discarding the bay leaves. Measure the liquid—you should have about 750ml (1 pint 6fl oz). If needed, top it up with extra stock or white wine.
- Cook the bacon and onion: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the bacon for 3 minutes, then add the onion, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes until softened.
- Make the sauce: Add the butter to the pan and stir until melted. Sprinkle in the flour and mix well to form a roux. Gradually pour in the reserved liquid, whisking constantly, and cook over high heat until thickened to a smooth sauce consistency.
- Combine the filling: Season with salt and pepper, then mix in the crème fraîche, mustard, reserved celery, and chicken. Spoon the filling into the ovenproof dish and level the top. Let it cool, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the pastry: Roll out the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm (⅛in) thick. Cut into 3cm (1¼in) wide ribbons. Arrange them in a lattice pattern on a piece of baking paper. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes or freeze until solid for easier handling.
- Assemble the pie: Brush the edges of the dish with beaten egg. Carefully transfer the lattice over the chilled filling. Trim any excess pastry and press to seal the edges.
- Bake the pie: Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot.
Recipe Tips
- Make the lattice on baking paper first, then slide it onto the pie for an easier transfer.
- Keep the lattice tight and seal the edges well with egg wash to prevent filling leaks.
- If short on time, skip the lattice and cover the pie fully with a pastry sheet instead.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
Storing in the Fridge: Let the pie cool completely, then cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze the uncooked pie, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6, adding 10–15 minutes to the cooking time.
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