Coq au Vin Pot Pie

Method

1. Cut the chicken into 3 cm pieces, season with the salt and pepper and toss in the flour until coated; the flour will thicken the sauce later. Cut the bacon into 1 cm strips, quarter the mushrooms, roughly chop the shallots and finely chop the garlic.

   Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 300 gSalt ½ tspBlack pepper to tastePlain flour 2 tbsp

2. Cook the bacon in a 24 cm pan over medium heat for 4 min to render its fat. Add the oil, turn up to medium-high heat, add the chicken and brown for 6 min, just on the outside; it will finish cooking in the oven.

   Add in this stepBacon 60 gVegetable oil 1 tbsp

   medium heat→medium-high heat

3. Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and cook over medium-high heat for 5 min, until the mushroom liquid has evaporated and they are browned.

   Add in this stepButton mushrooms 150 gShallots (or small onions) 2Garlic cloves 1

   medium-high heat

4. Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine, scrape the bottom and reduce by half over high heat for 4 min. Add the stock and thyme, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 min, until as thick as gravy; a runny filling makes soggy pastry. Remove the thyme stalks and let the filling cool for at least 15 minutes. Hot filling melts the butter in the pastry and stops it puffing.

   Add in this stepTomato paste 1 tspDry red wine 220 mlChicken stock 120 mlFresh thyme sprigs 2

   high heat→medium-low heat

5. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Fill ovenproof dishes (one of about 300 ml per serving) four-fifths full with the cooled filling. Cut the pastry 2 cm wider than each dish, brush the rims with beaten egg, lay the pastry on top and press firmly to seal. Cut a small slit in the centre to let steam escape and brush the tops with egg.

   Add in this stepPuff pastry (thawed if frozen) 160 gEgg (for egg wash) 1

   oven

6. Set the dishes on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 200°C for 20 min, until the pastry is tall and deep golden. Rest for 5 minutes; the filling is extremely hot.

   oven