Serves 8
Jerusalem Artichokes add great depth of flavour to sauces and stocks and will turn this simple chicken pie recipe into a truly outstanding dish! You can swap the chicken for left-over turkey if you need to!
Ingredients
For the filling;
- 30g/1oz butter
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 chopped garlic cloves
- 500g/1lb 2oz Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut roughly into 1.5cm/½” thick chunks
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 150ml/5fl oz dry white wine
- 2½ tbsp plain flour
- 300ml/10fl hot chicken (or turkey) stock
- salt and black pepper
- a little chopped parsley or tarragon
- 700g/1lb 9oz boned chicken leg (or cooked left-over turkey), cut into 3-4cm/1½” chunks
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
For the pastry top;
- 500g/1lb 2oz ready made puff pastry
- plain flour for dusting
- 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
Method:
- For the filling, heat the butter in a large heavy bottomed lidded pan and gently fry the onion ad garlic until softened but not coloured.
- Add the Jerusalem artichokes, grated lemon zest and white wine and boil down until the wine has virtually disappeared.
- Sprinkle over the flour and stir for a few seconds so that it is evenly distributed. Gradually add the stock and stir to make a sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the chicken and stir well.
- Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Ad the cream, stir and cook for a final 3-4 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and add the chopped parsley or tarragon.
- Transfer the filling mixture to a 1-1.5 litre/1 ¾ – 2 ½ pint ovenproof pie dish and leave too cool slightly.
- For the pastry top, roll the pastry out thinly on a floured surface. Cut out a couple of long strips about 1cm / ½ “ wide. Brush the edge of the pie dish with a beaten egg. Lay the strips of pastry on the edge, curving to fit and cutting so that they go all the way around but don’t overlap. Brush them with egg, then lay the remaining pastry sheet over the top. Trim off any excess and press the pastry down all around the edge to seal. Use the pastry trimmings to make leaves or flowers and glue them in place with the egg wash. Make a hole in the centre so that steam can escape, then chill the pie in the fridge for half an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 220 0C / 425F / Gas 7
- Brush the pastry top all over with egg wash and place in the oven. After 10-15 minutes, when the pastry is golden-brown, reduce the heat to 190 0C / 375F / Gas 5. Continue baking for a further 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.
Enjoy!
In season at this time of year;
Vegetables;
Jerusalem Artichokes, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Garlic, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Red Cabbage, Shallots, Spinach, Swede, Turnips.
Fruit & Nuts;
Apples, Pears (late – Concorde, Doyenne du Comice, Conference and Winter Nellis), Rhubarb (forced), Walnuts
Meat:
Duck (end of season), Guinea Fowl, Hare, Partridge, Venison
Fish & Seafood:
Brill, Clams, Cockles, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Salmon (coming into season), Monkfish, Mussels, Oyster, Plaice, Turbot