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
Ingredients
- olive oil 1 tbsp
- skinless chicken thigh fillets 8, cut into chunky pieces
- chorizo 125g, sliced
- onion 1, finely chopped
- thyme a few sprigs
- garlic 4 cloves, finely chopped
- plain flour 3 tbsp
- white wine 150ml
- chicken stock 350ml
- crème fraîche 75ml
- lemon ½, juiced
- ready-made puff pastry 320g
- egg 1, beaten
Method
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Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and season the chicken pieces. Cook the chicken, in batches if necessary, until golden and caramelised. Scoop out onto a plate with a slotted spoon.
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Step 2
Add the chorizo to the pan and cook until slightly crisp and the oil has turned red. Scoop out onto the plate of chicken, then gently cook the onion and thyme in the pan with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
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Step 3
Pour in the wine and bubble for 1 minute, then gradually add the stock, whisking the whole time. Add the chicken and chorizo back to the pan, as well as any resting juices from the plate, and bring to a simmer. Bubble for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender, skimming off any excess fat from the surface – but don’t throw it away (see ‘Good fats’, above). Stir in the crème fraîche and lemon juice, and season – go easy on the salt as the chorizo itself can be salty. Remove the thyme sprigs.
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Step 4
If you have time, cool the filling mixture completely – the steam from the hot filling will mean a less crisp pastry. If you’re making the filling more than 1 hour ahead, cool to room temperature and then chill.
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Step 5
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Tip the filling into a 26cm x 20cm lipped baking dish. Brush the rim of the dish with the egg, then layer over the pastry and use your thumbs or a fork to crimp the edge, and press and stick down. Use a sharp knife to make a small cross in the middle of the pastry to allow the steam to escape. You could also lightly score the pastry with the back of a knife in a diamond pattern, if you like. Cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden.
Nutritional Information
- Kcals 825
- Fat 50.5g
- Saturates 21.9g
- Carbs 43.3g
- Sugars 5.5g
- Fibre 4.5g
- Protein 41.3g
- Salt 2.4g