Mary Berry's cheat chicken and bacon pie is a family favourite and is simple to prepare, using ready-rolled puff pastry as a shortcut. The creamy pie serves six people and can be made up to two days in advance, making it ideal for a dinner party.
A popular recipe with high ratings
The recipe has earned more than 20 five-star ratings on BBC Food. The recipe notes describe it as a “creamy chicken and bacon pie topped with an impressive pastry lattice” that makes “a wonderful centrepiece for a special family meal.” For a simpler version, the notes suggest: “If you want to keep things simple, just top with a sheet of puff pastry and trim.”
With winter approaching, many people are looking for wholesome and hearty dinner ideas, and this pie fits the bill. It can be assembled ahead of time and baked when needed.
Ingredients and method
To make the pie, you will need six skinless chicken legs (thigh and drumstick), four chopped celery sticks, four roughly sliced bay leaves, 200ml dry white wine, 300ml chicken stock, 250g smoked back bacon, one large roughly chopped onion, 50g butter, 60g plain flour, two tablespoons of full-fat creme fraiche, one tablespoon of grainy mustard, two 375g packets of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry, one beaten egg, and salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan. Place the chicken legs, celery, and bay leaves in a large ovenproof saucepan, pour over the wine and stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken legs are cooked and tender. Set aside to cool.
Assembling the pie
Once cool, remove the meat from the bones (the bones can be reserved for stock) and break it into bite-sized pieces. Strain the stock, reserving the celery and discarding the bay leaves, and measure the liquid — you should have around 750ml. If not, make up the difference with extra stock or white wine.
Fry the bacon pieces in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat for three minutes. Add the onion, cover, and fry for a further 10 minutes until softened. Add the butter, stir until melted, then sprinkle in the flour to make a roux. Pour the reserved liquid into the roux a little at a time, whisking constantly, and stir over a high heat until thickened to a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper, then add the reserved celery, creme fraiche, and mustard. Mix to combine before adding the chicken pieces.
Spoon the filling into an ovenproof dish and level the top. Leave to cool, then chill, covered, in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out each pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick and cut into long, thick ribbons about 3cm wide — you will need about 16 in total. Weave the ribbons together on a piece of baking paper until you have a pastry top large enough to cover the pie. Chill for 15 minutes to firm up, or freeze until solid.
Take the filling out of the fridge and brush the edges of the dish with a little beaten egg. Carefully slide the pastry lattice onto the chilled filling, trim the excess pastry around the rim, and lightly press to seal. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/180°C (Fan), brush the pastry with the remaining beaten egg, and bake for 30 minutes until golden and cooked through, with the chicken bubbling. Serve right away whilst piping hot.
