The king of the pies. The tarragon makes it. Mandatory dollop of mustard. You have to give this one a go.
SERVES 4
1 hr
INGREDIENTS
750 g (1 lb 11 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 leeks
1 brown onion
1 x 200-g (7-oz) pack of smoked bacon rashers
fresh tarragon
plain (all-purpose) flour
560 ml (1 pint) whole milk
1 x pack of puff pastry
1 egg yolk
Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6).
Dice up the boneless chicken thighs into chunks. Brown them off in a large frying pan (skillet) with some olive oil. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Don’t wash up the pan yet.
Finely slice the leeks, a brown onion and smoked bacon.
Add the bacon to the chicken pan, and fry until crispy.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of water, and then add the leeks and onion.
Fry until soft, adding a splash of water if the vegetables start catching on the pan.
Once soft, reintroduce the chicken (again). Stir it in, and then add a large handful of chopped tarragon. Stir, and then add 2 heaped tablespoons of plain flour. Mix it in, making sure the flour is absorbed by the mixture.
Pour in the whole milk, splash by splash. Keep stirring until you have a thick pie filling. Season generously with pepper, stir in 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and then remove the pan from the heat.
Take a pie dish. Fill it with the filling. Then lay your puff pastry on top. Trim the sides, and brush the pastry with beaten egg yolk. Add a sprinkle of salt, and then place in the hot oven for
30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden.
Slice your pie up, and serve with a big dollop of Dijon mustard. Enjoy!
The featured recipe is from MOB Kitchen: Feed 4 or more for under £10 by Ben Lebus
