The best chicken pie! Nothing more to say.
2 x 375g puff pastry sheets
40g unsalted butter
1 leek, thinly sliced (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh lemon thyme, leaves stripped
800g skinless chicken thigh fillets
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup cream
2 tbs lemon juice
sea salt & cracked black pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten
Unroll the first sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured bench and use a cake tin to cut out a 25cm circle. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Unroll the second puff pastry and roll out the pastry to 2-3mm thick. Use a round baking tray or platter to cut out a 30cm circle of pastry. Transfer to another baking tray lined with baking paper. Reserve offcuts for another recipe and transfer pastry to the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and half the thyme and cook for a further 1 minute until fragrant. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to saucepan. Lightly brown all over, then add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add stock and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is tender and sauce has reduced. Remove chicken from sauce and stir in cream to the saucepan. Allow to continue simmering until the sauce thickens. Meanwhile, use 2 forks to shred the chicken into smaller pieces. Return to sauce, add lemon juice, taste some of the filling and season with salt and pepper until it tastes amazing. Stir through the remaining thyme. Transfer to the fridge and cool completely.
Preheat oven to 200°C Fan.
Place the chicken filling in the centre of the smallest pastry circle and spread out, leaving a 4cm border. Brush the edge with egg yolk. Cut out a small 2cm hole from the centre of the larger pastry disc and place over the filling, pressing down the edges to seal. Brush the top with egg yolk and return to the fridge for a further 20 minutes. Bake on the bottom shelf in oven for 40 minutes until golden and shiny. Serves 4.
