Chicken Pie, by way of Ina, Martha, & Smitten Kitchen!

Chicken pie is so soothing & nutritious & lovely, it can't fail to put a smile on the most miserable of faces! The smell of a baking pie wafts through the house, attracting people to the kitchen, the hub, in pleasant expectation, waiting for the table to be laid & dinner to be served..

My recipe comes from a mixture of influences from Ina Garten to Martha Stewart, Smitten Kitchen, & a general sense of cooking experience.

Ingredients

~ 4 chicken breasts

~ glug of balsamic vinegar

~ 3 cups chicken bouillon

~ 2 tbsp gravy powder

~ sea salt & crushed black pepper

~ 3 shallots

~ 2 cloves garlic

~ 1 tbsp of olive oil

~ 5 tbsp flour

~ glug of sherry

~ 2 bay leaves

~ handful of chopped parsley

~ 2 tbsp creme fraiche

~ 1 cup frozen peas

2 carrots, peeled & sliced

~ 3 large potatoes

~ juice of 1/2 a lemon

~ a few sprigs lemon thyme

1. Pre-heat the oven to a medium-warm temperature, say 250 degrees F.

1. Poach the chicken breasts in 1 cup of chicken bouillon, with the gravy powder, glug of balsamic, seasoning, & top up with water to cover the chicken. Poach until cooked through, 15-20 mins. Remove & chop into chunks, & place in a medium-sized casserole dish.

2. Chop the shallots & garlic, & fry in the oil until beginning to brown. Add the flour & stir constantly to ensure even distribution & that the flour is fully absorbed into the mixture.

3. Add the bay leaves, 2 cups of chicken bouillon, parsley, seasoning, sherry, whisk in the creme fraiche, the lemon juice & top with water so that the pan is about 2/3rds full.

4. Simmer for 15 mins.

5. Meanwhile, lightly fry the carrots for about 5 mins, & then add them with the peas to the saucepan & cook a few minutes longer. Pour over the chicken into the casserole dish.

6. Peel & slice the potatoes with a mandoline & then layer over the chicken sauce.

7. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes. After 45 mins, place the sprigs of thyme on top & return to the oven.

8. Serve up, & enjoy!

{all photos by me}