Mary Berry's chicken and bacon pie, a creamy family favourite topped with a pastry lattice, serves six and can be prepared up to two days in advance. The recipe has earned more than 20 five-star reviews on BBC Food.
A warming winter centrepiece
The recipe description says: "This creamy chicken and bacon pie topped with an impressive pastry lattice makes a wonderful centrepiece for a special family meal. If you want to keep things simple, just top with a sheet of puff pastry and trim."
As winter approaches, the dish offers a warming and satisfying option for evening meals. It can be made ahead, making it suitable for entertaining guests.
Ingredients and method
The ingredients include six skinless chicken legs, four diced celery sticks, four roughly sliced bay leaves, 200ml dry white wine, 300ml chicken stock, 250g smoked back bacon cut into small pieces, one large roughly chopped onion, 50g butter, 60g plain flour, two tablespoons of full-fat crème fraîche, one tablespoon of grainy mustard, two 375g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry sheets, one beaten egg, and salt and pepper.
To make the filling, preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan and place the chicken legs, celery, and bay leaves in a large ovenproof saucepan. Pour over the wine and stock, season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil over medium-high heat, cover, and transfer to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled, strip the meat from the bones, tear it into bite-sized chunks, and place in a bowl. Strain the stock, keep the celery, discard the bay leaves, and measure the liquid – it should be approximately 750ml. If not, top up with extra stock or white wine.
Assembling the pie
Cook the bacon pieces in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for three minutes. Add the onion, cover, and fry for a further 10 minutes until tender. Add the butter, stir until melted, then scatter over the flour to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the reserved liquid over high heat until the mixture thickens into a smooth sauce, being careful not to add too much liquid at once.
Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the reserved celery, crème fraîche, and mustard. Fold in the chicken pieces and spoon the filling into an ovenproof dish, smoothing the surface. Allow to cool completely, then cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll out each pastry sheet to about 3mm thick on a lightly dusted surface, then slice into ribbons roughly 3cm wide. Weave the ribbons into a lattice on baking paper, large enough to cover the dish, and refrigerate for 15 minutes or freeze until solid. Remove the filling from the fridge, brush the dish edges with beaten egg, lift the lattice over the filling, trim excess pastry, and press down to seal.
Turn the oven up to 200°C/180°C Fan. Glaze the pastry with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and the chicken mixture is bubbling. Serve immediately while piping hot.
