Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Pot Pie

While searching around for a chicken pie recipe, I was thinking of making my own puff pastry – until I watched Jamie Oliver’s video where he said it was too much trouble making the many puff layers since ready-made  ones are just as good! So there went my inclination to even try. I’ll get round to make my own someday 

So here’s Jamie Oliver’s easy-peasy chicken pot pie (with store-bought puff pastry) which makes a yummy and fuss-free one dish meal. I sauteed the chicken and vegetables, covered it with the pastry and the oven did the rest of the work.  Jamie made his pie in a baking dish, but I thought individual servings in ramekins would be easier to serve.

I also made some small rectangular chicken pies (for lack of a better term) by cutting the puff pastry sheet into 8 x 12 cm rectangles, filling it with chicken and folding it up.

Note about puff pastry: Take it out of the freezer and defrost for about 1-2 minutes, then start working on it as quickly as you can.  Use a scissors or pizza cutter to cut it into the desired shape. When it gets too soft, it becomes sticky and very difficult to fold. If you are planning to use more than one piece of puff pastry, don’t take it out of the freezer all at once. Take out only the piece you plan to work on immediately. I love to bite into this chicken pie – look at those lovely crispy layers puff pastry covering a delicious creamy chicken filling.

Jamie Oliver Chicken Pot Pie (serves 4 – 6)

Ingredients

• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• A pat of butter and some olive oil
• A bunch of scallions (I used leeks)
• 6 ounces button mushrooms (I used Shimeji mushrooms)
• 1 heaping tablespoon all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 teaspoons English mustard
• 1 generous tablespoon heavy cream (I used low fat sour cream)
• 1-1/4 cups organic chicken broth (300 ml)
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme (I used rosemary)
• 1/3 of a nutmeg for grating (or a few sprinkles of nutmeg powder)
• 1 large sheet of all-butter puff pastry (big enough for your baking tin)
• 1 egg (I glazed with milk)

Cooking the fillings:

• Turn oven to 200°C. Put a large pan on a medium heat & a medium saucepan on a low heat.
• Cut chicken into 1cm strips. In a saucepan of oil & butter, cook the chicken for 3 minutes.
• Throw in spring onions & mushrooms.
• Add heaped tbspn flour & stir.
• Add 2 tspns mustard, 1 heaped tbspn crème freche & 300ml chicken stock – stir.
• Stir in thyme, nutmeg, salt & pepper.

The puff pastry:

• Unroll sheet of puff pastry on to floured surface
• Pour chicken filling into baking dish.
• Cover with puff pastry. Score it with a knife.
• Brush a beaten egg over the top of the pie.
• Bake for 15 minutes till puff pastry is golden brown