non creamy chicken pie recipe?

[shelley72]

Hi I have some leftover chicken from last night and some pastry in the freezer. was wondering about making a chicken pie for tonight, but it has to be a non creamy variety as DD is dairy intolerant.

All recipes i come across on the web seem to be contain cream / milk / creme fraiche - does anyone have a recipe i could follow to make a nice pie? Am not very good at just chucking things together, it never seems to work out!

thanks in advance!

ooh and also have some shop bought fresh gravy if that helps!

You could make a veloute (stock based) sauce rather than a bechamel (milk based) one. Get the roux cooking normal - in your case some melted non-dairy fat mixed with flour - and then gradually add stock until you have a nice thick consistency. Chopped mushrooms would add flavour and texture to the sauce, then stir in the cooked chicken and top with pastry.

Soften some chopped carrots and onion in a frying pan (will probably take about 10-15 minutes so keep the heat low as you want them soft but not really brown). Add gravy, chopped chicken and some frozen peas. Season, stir well and take off heat.

Meanwhile, get a couple of ovenproof bowls (or one big ovenproof dish) and cut out pastry to fit the top(s). Using the leftovers, put a pastry rim around your dish or bowls, which is just a strip of pastry around the edge held on by a bit of water and a squeeze of your fingers.

Pour filling into bowls or dish (don't worry if it doesn't come to the top, it doesn't matter). Top with pastry disc(s), crimping the edge to seal (put water between the edges and press together with the prongs of a fork). Brush with milk. Bake at 200C for 15-20 minutes. Remember the filling is already cooked, so you are just cooking the pastry.

Serve with steamed green veg, remembering that the contents of the pie will be very hot!

That do you?

Finely chop onion, or onion and leek, and sweat with garlic, black pepper, and tarragon in olive oil for at least 15mins so that they cook withou browning. The longer the better, IMO. And leave the pan lid on. Keep the heat low, and shake the pan from time to time. This, IMO, is the key to getting the richness that cream gives.

Add any cooked veg you like. A handful of peas, mushrooms, some diced carrot, small broccoli florets, whatever, really.

Add plenty of well-thickened gravy and a bay leaf. A splash of mushroom ketchup is really good.

Add the chicken pieces.

Mix it all up together.

Fill pie, cover, brush with egg that has been well-beaten-up with a teaspoon of water. Poke steam holes in lid. Bake in medium oven until it looks lovely. Allow to stand for 20minutes.

Serve. Enjoy.

thank you, sounds yum and now i'm hungry. not sure i have come across mushroom ketchup (sheltered life) but will have a look when out shopping later, have most of the other things lurking round the kitchen. you all make it sound so easy! this year i WILL become domesticated

Mushroom ketchup.

A splash goes a l