Chicken Meat Pies

Making homemade chicken meat pies is a delightful and comforting culinary project. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating delicious chicken meat pies from scratch:

Ingredients:

For the Pie Filling:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Herbs and spices (e.g., thyme, rosemary, parsley) for flavour

For the Pie Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6-8 tablespoons ice-cold water

Instructions:

Pie Filling:

1. Prepare the Chicken: Cook the chicken (bake, boil, or use leftover cooked chicken) and shred or dice it into small pieces. Set aside.

2. Sauté Vegetables: In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened.

3. Add Flour and Make Roux: Sprinkle flour over the sautéed vegetables and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour and create a roux.

4. Gradually Add Liquids: Slowly pour in the chicken broth and milk while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Cook until the mixture thickens.

5. Season and Add Chicken: Season the filling with salt, pepper, and your choice of herbs and spices. Add the cooked chicken and frozen peas. Stir well to combine. Remove from heat and let the filling cool.

Pie Crust:

1. Prepare the Dough: In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough starts to come together.

2. Form the Dough: Transfer the dough to a clean surface and gently knead it to bring it together. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. Roll the Dough: On a floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to fit your pie dish. Roll the other disk for the pie top. Place the bottom crust into the pie dish.

Assembling and Baking:

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Fill the Pie: Pour the cooled chicken filling into the prepared pie crust in the pie dish.

3. Cover the Pie: Place the second rolled-out crust on top of the filling. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.

4. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

5. Cool and Serve: Allow the pie to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy your homemade chicken meat pie!

Feel free to customize the filling with additional vegetables or spices according to your taste preferences. Happy baking!

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model