Chicken Pot Pie

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces, chop the onion, and dice the carrot and celery into 1 cm cubes. Take the pie crust out of the fridge about 10 minutes ahead so it unrolls without cracking.

2. Melt the butter in a 24 cm frying pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken and salt and cook for 5 min, until the outside is white with a few golden spots. Lift it onto a plate. It's fine if it's still pink inside; it finishes cooking in the oven.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter 7.5 gBoneless chicken thighs (or breast) 240 gSalt ⅛ tsp

   medium-high heat

3. Turn the same pan down to medium heat, add the remaining butter with the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 6 min, until the onion is soft and see-through.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter 18 gOnion ½Carrot 80 gCelery 50 g

   medium heat

4. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 min on medium heat to cook out the raw taste. Pour in the stock a little at a time, stirring so no lumps form, then add the milk, thyme, the rest of the salt and some pepper. Lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 4 min, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean line.

   Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 22 gChicken stock 300 mlMilk 120 mlDried thyme ½ tspSalt 0.4 tspBlack pepper to taste

   medium heat→medium-low heat

5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chicken and the frozen peas. Taste and add a little more salt if needed. Spoon the filling into a 18 cm baking dish and let it cool for about 10 minutes; a hot filling melts the butter in the crust and makes it soggy.

   Add in this stepFrozen peas 60 g

6. Lay the crust over the dish with about 1 cm hanging over the edge and press it firmly onto the rim. Cut 3 or 4 slits in the middle so steam can escape, then beat the egg and brush a thin layer over the top.

   Add in this stepPie crust (store-bought, refrigerated) 130 gEgg (for brushing) 1

7. Set the dish on a baking tray to catch drips and bake at 200 °C for 30 min, until the crust is deep golden and the sauce is bubbling up through the slits. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets and doesn't run.