Chicken and Ham Pie

Who doesn't love pie? This one is a classic – free range Adlington chicken and smoked ham with some handmade tarragon pastry. Serve with a crisp glass of Two Farmers cider and some steamed British broccoli.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the pie filling

• 4 Adlington chicken breasts, roughly diced
• 500g Adlington smoked ham, diced
• 4 British banana shallots, finely diced
• 1 leek, finely diced
• 1-2 tsp rapeseed oil
• 50g butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml chicken stock
• 350ml cider
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp dill, chopped
  

For the pastry

• 500g plain flour
• 250g salted butter
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• Cold Water
• 1 beaten egg, to glaze
  

To serve

200g British broccoli, steamed

Method:

1. Make your pastry in advance by mixing the butter, flour, mustard, and tarragon into a breadcrumb texture. Then gradually add cold water until the pastry dough forms and holds together. Wrap and rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
2. Set a frying pan over a medium heat and add the rapeseed oil, sauté your chopped leeks and shallots in the pan until soft. Add butter and flour. Cook out the flour and deglaze the pan with the cider.
3. Pour into the pie dish along with the remaining filling ingredients and mix well. 
   
4. Preheat your oven to 200˚C and roll out your pastry on a floured surface. Cover your pie filling and crimp the edges by hand or seal with a fork. Brush with beaten egg.
5. Bake for 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden and the chicken is cooked.
6. Serve with steamed broccoli and a glass of cider.