Chicken and something pie

[hopefully]

I'm having another chicken mission next week, and I was thinking I might turn the leftovers into chicken and something (leek?) pie. However, I've never made a pie in my life! Couple of questions...

1. Will shortcrust pastry go horribly wrong if I make it? Should I just buy it? Don't have a food mixer, but would prefer making by hand if it won't go wrong (can use free range eggs then)
2. What should I cook the pie in? I was thinking something like a cake tin that i could release the sides on, or a white pie dish (like this or this). If I used the china ones, would I grease it or something to make the pie come out?
3. what can I put in with the chicken? Was thinking of something like chicken and leek pie, but can't find a simple recipe...
4. can I freeze leftover pie, or will the pastry go manky? How would I defrost it? in the fridge and then reheat in the oven?

Of course, if this is a success, I'll have to make the enormous apple pie that the hairy bikers made last night.

1. home-made shortcrust is easy. You can't go wrong. Even if you don't get it in to the pie-dish in one piece, patch it up, it will be fine.

2)Either of those dishes will be fine. I use pyrex, metal or china. I don't grease.

3. I usually cook up some onion, mushroom, perhaps some celery and even carrot. Leek is good too, whatever you have in. Then add it either to a white sauce or some stock. Thicken and season to taste. Keep surplus stock or sauce to serve alongside.

4. Yes, it freezes fine. I normally defrost in the fridge then reheat in oven or microwave, oven is best but at a moderate heat and cover the pie so it doesn't 'catch' or be too dry.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice! Will be brave and attempt the shortcrust. For some reason it scares me, despite being quite a competent baker.

lots of asparagus about atthe minute and is lovely in a chicken pie

Another vote for asparagus. Mushrooms are a good addition too.

I wouldn't put eggs in the pastry. TBH I don't even generally bother with a glaze. I would just use flour, fat and water.

The Hairy Bakers programme on BBC2 on Monday showed a few pie recipes and this chicken & mushroom pie looked really nice.

1. Shortcrust pastry will be fine. You don't need egg for it though. Personally, I would just put pastry on top on the pie though.

1. I'd go for a white pie dish and not make a pie crust, just put all the pie filling in the dish and them top it with the pastry, or even better, cook a disk of puff pastry the same size as the pie dish and just put it on the top once cooked (that way you don't get the possibility of soggy pastry that you might get if cooking the pastry on top of the filling).

1. chicken and mushroom in a white sauce

chicken and sweetcorn in a white sauce

chicken, leek and onion in a chicken gravy

chicken and asparagus

1. Should be fine frozen. You could then reheat in the oven straight from frozen or defrost in the fridge overnight first. If I make pies to freeze I just put the filling in the pie dish and then when I want to serve it I cook a puff pastry topping from the ready made stuff to plonk on top.

You may want to be careful about freezing leftovers though, if you have already made the pie with leftover chicken, as chicken should only really be reheated once.

If you think you will have left-overs make a smaller pie and save the rest of the chicken to eat cold in sandwitches?

Oh god, can you tell I am hungry?

chicken

shortcrust pastry should just be flour, fat and water to bind, and the less handling the better so better to make it b hand than in a food processor.

Ooh, hadn't thought of the reheating/freezing/reheating of leftovers that have already been cooked! Thanks for pointing that out OMDB. Have a small-ish pie dish, so I'll use that and make sure we finish it all up!

Stirlingmum the hairy bakers should not be allowed - I now want to make cakes, pies, cookies, everything they have made! If there is a recipe book of this series my waistline is in serious trouble...

Chicken and gammon with half a can of Homepide white wine sauce.

Yes, it is cheating, but who will know?

I know what you mean hopefully, none of their recipes are exactly low-cal!

chicken, broccoli, colliflower (not sure how to spell) and cheese sauce!! serious comfort food but gorgeous when home made! mmmmm i want to eat some now!

ready rolled pastry is always tasty and easy to use!?