Not only does Chicken Pie wrap you in a warm, comforting hug of taste, it’s also your secret weapon for stress-free hosting.
Pies are a great way to prepare the magic a day in advance, letting those flavors cozy up and fuse together.
Then, on the night of your dinner party you can simply slap a golden, flaky pastry hat on top and bake it to pure perfection (avoiding any headless-chicken moments 
).
Chicken Pot Pie With Greens & Potatoes
Chicken Pot Pie accompanied by a medley of vibrant greens – Spinach and Cavolo Nero – and tender potatoes, lighted mashed and bedded on velvety basil and parsley pesto. This classic dish takes on a fresh twist, enveloping succulent chicken and hearty vegetables in a buttery, flaky crust.
Ingredients
Chicken Pie filling:
- 1 whole Chicken or 5 chicken briced sliced
- 1 leek
- 2 Shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Sprig Rosemary
- 1 Head broccoli
- 500 g Spinach
- 500 ml Cream
- 1 Glass of dry White Wine
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 lemon + Zest
- 1 egg
- 1 tspn butter
Greens:
- 500 g Spinach
- 250 g Cavolo Nero
- 2 tbsp butter
- Juice of one lemon
- tspn Honey
- 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Potatoes with Pesto
- 1 kg Spuds
- 100 g parsley
- 100 g Basil
- 50 g Walnuts
- 50 g Parmesan
- 1 Lemon
- Olive Oil
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
If using chicken breasts:
- Start by sauteeing your chicken with the olive oil on a medium heat. We want colour here so refrain from moving the chicken a lot. Season.
- When cooked through, remove from the pan. In the same pan and another drop of olive oil and reduce the heat. Add your leeks and sweat. Try to gather all the goodness from the pan from searing the chicken. Season. Add garlic and continue to sweat until soft.
- When translucent, add the wine and deglaze the pan, turn up the heat to cook off the alcohol.
- Add your chicken back in when the wine has reduced by half.
- Add your spinach and wilt.
- Add your cream and aromats (bay and Rosemary and lemon zest)
- Cook on a low heat for 20 mins.
- Filing is ready - allow to cool.
If using whole chicken Season chicken well:
- Lather olive oil on skin and ensure covered
- Add teaspoon of butter into the cavity of the chicken along with a garlic clove (This will steam and flavour the inside of the chicken
- Roast at 180C until cooked and skin golden (Depends on weight but 1h30 mins should do the trick)
- Rest the chicken and allow to cool before shredding.
- Add the chicken to the cream sauce (you will skip to the point of cooking the leeks if using the whole shredded chicken)
- Tip - Utilise the bones for stock afterwards and freeze
Hey Presto For the Pesto!
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Blitz till smooth and pass through a sieve if required.
- Loosen with cold water if necessary for consistency.
For the Spuds:
- Boil spuds till soft (Nothing worse than hard spuds)
- Ensure to bring spuds to the boil from cold with the teaspoon of vinegar and salt.
- Vinegar helps keep the potato together,
- When cooked, drain and cool.
- Add to a baking sheet and lightly press with the back of a spoon to increase surface area. Drizzle with olive oil and S&P. (We used chicken fat from cooking whole chicken here for added flavour and to get bang from your book from a good animal)
- Roast till crispy at 180C
- Serve on a large plate with pesto underneat and a few sprigs of parsley.
Lastly For The Pie
- Roll out your filo pastry.
- Layer on top of the casserole dish with your filling and trim the sides. Use a fork to add some detail to the edges and to stop the pastry from lifting off the dish when cooking.
- Eggwash the top and sprinkle black pepper.
- Cook at 180C till golden and crispy
- The above can all be done the night before and wrapped in clingfilm. Just take out of the fridge an hour befire cooking and egg wash on the day before cooking.
- Greens:
- Steam greens till soft but still havea small bite
- Add to bowl with butter, olive oil, honey and lemon,
- Season to taste
