
This recipe first appeared in Food magazine.
Follow Food on Facebook, Instagram and sign up to their e-newsletter.
Ingredients
Method
1.Preheat the oven to 210ºC. Place chicken in a pan with the celery, carrot, rosemary, bay leaf and stock. Simmer for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked, then strain the stock into a bowl (not down the sink).
2.Heat the oil in the pan and add the sliced leek and the bacon and cook until they are soft. Stir the flour into the pan with the bacon and leek and gradually whisk in the stock, stirring continuously. Shred or finely slice the chicken and place it in the pan with the bacon mixture. Add the celery and carrots.
3.Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the sour cream.
4.To assemble the jalousie, join one full sheet of pastry with one cut to three-quarters of its size. Brush the connecting edges with water and press them firmly together to make a large rectangle. Place the pastry on a greased oven tray.
5.Repeat with the remaining two sheets, rolling over the joins with a rolling pin to ensure they are well sealed.
6.Brush the edge of the pastry on the tray lightly with water and spoon the filling into the middle. Gently spread it out so that it comes to within 1cm of the edge all the way around and is smoothish on top.
7.Use a rolling pin to roll over the second rectangle of pastry so that it is slightly larger than the base. This is to accommodate the filling. Carefully place the second rectangle over the top of the filling and gently press around the edges.
8.When the lid is in position, use the spine of a knife or the edge of a ruler to press firmly along all the joins, forming a neat seal. Trim the edges of the pastry with a knife to neaten them. Use a serrated knife to cut slits in the lid and brush with beaten egg or milk to glaze.
9.Bake in the preheated oven for 20–30 minutes, or until the filling is piping hot and the pastry is well risen and golden.
Note
- You can use the recipe to make individual pies, or use short crust pastry if you prefer. The filling is also suitable for pot pies or to make a more traditional-looking pie in a 23cm metal pie dish. – Chicken is one of our most popular meats. When boneless chicken is on special, buy extra to stock up and freeze. – Marriage pie uses as little as 100g of cooked chicken – the leftovers from a roast chook will probably be enough. – You can extend a recipe with extra vegetables if you are a bit short of meat. – Make smaller pies if you have the time – they’ll make a little bit go a long way. Serve with inexpensive accompaniments, such as jacket potatoes and seasonal veges.