Try this chicken and chorizo pie, then check out our chicken and ham pie, chicken and leek pie, leftover chicken pie and plenty more comforting pie recipes.
Cheat you way to success
Ready-made puff pastry is one of the best shortcuts you can make in the kitchen – most professional kitchens buy it in, too! Look for all-butter puff pastry for a richer flavour.
Good fats
Chorizo has plenty of paprika-rich fat to render down – it turns the oil a beautiful deep red, as well as tasting delicious. Don’t get rid of any excess chicken fat that you skim off the surface of the filling while it’s cooking – keep it for frying. Use it to soften an onion at the start of a risotto for added depth of flavour.
Adding richness
Stirring the crème fraîche into the sauce at the end prevents it from splitting. If simmered for too long in the sauce it can separate, causing it to taste a little fatty when you eat it.
A light touch
Pastry really benefits from a cook with a calm, relaxed approach, so make sure you leave some time to finish off your pie in style. Use the back of a knife to lightly score and crimp the pastry before baking to get that beautifully rustic appearance once baked. If you have time give it a chill in the fridge before baking to help set the shape.
Get ahead
Save yourself any stress by prepping the filling in the morning or even the day before. This will make dinner a more relaxed affair and, as the filling has been cooled, the pie will produce less steam when cooking, resulting in an even more crisp, puffed pastry.
Give it a twist
Here are a couple of great ways you can adapt this pie recipe:
- Try smoky bacon lardons instead of chorizo for a more classic chicken pie
- Sprinkle chopped thyme leaves over the puff pastry sheet, then gently roll to embed in the pie top before glazing