It was Nana’s speciality – the family and I use to visit every Sunday and a couple times a year she would make this.  It was the tastiest dish she made. Nothing beats a home cooked pie with a pastry top, though a shop bought dough can save time, a homemade pastry is well worth the effort.  Put aside an afternoon to make this old style Smokey Chicken Pie.  Adapted & updated from an old recipe of my Nana’s.  I guarantee happy bellies if you make this for dinner.  (Editor’s Note: Some measurements will need to be converted from metric if you are not use to using metric measurements. 

Smokey Chicken Pie

 For the crust:

6oz plain flour

Pinch of salt

3oz butter cut into small cubes

2-3 tablespoons cold water

1 egg, beaten (for brushing)

For the filling:

200ml milk

1 tablespoon basil dried

1 oz butter

1 oz plain flour

Pinch of salt & pepper

2-3 tablespoons boiling water

3 oz cheddar cheese

2 chicken breasts, diced into small pieces

1 large roasting potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1 carrot peeled, and chopped into small cubes

3 rashers back bacon, with fat still on

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion chopped into small cubes.

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

3 crushed garlic cloves

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 / 190 C degrees (375 F).  In a baking tray, pop in the chopped potato, cover with a tablespoon of olive oil, make sure it’s evenly covered and put on the top shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, put the flour, salt & butter together and mix with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Then gradually add the water kneading until it becomes a soft dough.  Wrap in Clingfilm and pop in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Whilst that’s chilling, pop the milk & basil in a small saucepan and heat until it is just about to boil.  Remove from the heat and set aside for a few minutes.  Then strain into a bowl and leave to one side.

Pop the olive oil, garlic, chicken & bacon into a large cooking pot and simmer over a medium heat until they start to brown, add the paprika, a pinch of pepper, stir until everything is covered.  Then pop a lid on the top and leave to simmer.  After a few minutes add the onion & carrot.  By this time, your potatoes should be cooked & browned, add these to the mixture and stir in.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Once it’s all melted, add the flour and stir quickly until it leaves the sides of the pan.  Gradually stir in the cooled milk from the previous boiling on the induction hob.  Beat in until blended.  If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of the boiling water.  Then add in the cheese and beat until thickened.  Remove from the heat.

Add the sauce into the pan of meat & vegetables making sure it’s all covered.  Pour the mixture into a pie dish, and pat down to make sure it’s even and filling the whole dish.  Brush a little of the beaten egg around the edges.

Get your dough out of the fridge and roll out onto a floured surface very lightly to about 1 cm thick.  Pop over the top of the pie dish, being careful to not stretch the dough.  Cut the dough the dish size and use the excess to decorate the pie to your liking.

Brush the beaten egg over the top of the pie.

Pop the pie in the oven for 30 minutes, turning it around after around 15 minutes to make sure that both sides cook evenly.  The pie is done when it rises slightly & the top has browned.

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