Roast chicken pie with pear and walnut side salad

12 servings with the intention of serving 4 at a time

(8 serving fillings to go into freezer)

2.5-3.5 hours

Chicken pie ingredients

1 large onion or fennel

1 celery bunch

2 carrots

1 ½ cup frozen peas

1 roast chicken (roasted yourself or store bought is fine)

Extra chicken stock (store bought)for a top up if needed

1-2 tablespoons of rosemary or thyme

1 cup flour

3-4 medium potatoes cut in cubes

olive oil

200g of butter

salt & pepper to taste

puff pastry sheets

1 egg, lightly beaten

20cm square non stick baking pan

Pear and walnut side salad ingredients

Ingredients for 4 people

¾ cup of candied walnuts

• To make candied walnuts bring ¾ cup of water in pan with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add walnuts cook until walnuts have soaked up the sugar water. Set aside to cool.

2 cups of spinach

2 cups of rocket (arugula)

4-6 cherry tomatoes cut in quarters

½ pear sliced thinly long ways (1 ½ mm thick)

¼ red onion sliced thinly long ways (1 mm thick)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lemon wedges (quartered)

1 tablespoon honey

Pie Method

first – roast the chicken

*If you want to cut down on the cooking time you can buy a chicken already roasted from your local supermarket.  If this is not an available service then you will need to roast the chicken.

-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius

-baste the chicken with olive oil

-rub in sea salt, black pepper and rosemary or thyme

-lightly base the oven pan with olive oil and a bit of store bought chicken stock.

-cover chicken with foil and cook approximately 45 min (maybe more depending on the size of the chicken.

-uncover the chicken and cook another 20 min until golden brown.

-set aside to cool

Second – boil potatoes (cook simultaneously with roasting chicken or making stock)

-chop potatoes in small cubes and boil for 8 min until al dente

-set aside, they will cook again

third – make the stock

-once the chicken has cooled, pull away all edible chicken and set aside (don’t throw away the bones and skin- we will use this)

-chop celery, carrots and onions or fennel chunky

-in a large saucepan bring 12 cups of water, a swig of olive oil, salt, pepper, celery, carrots, onion or fennel and the chicken bones and skin

-cook on high for 20-30min or until the stock flavours are present

-turn off heat and strain the liquid stock into a bowl.

-with the solid parts, throw away the bones and skin and keep the carrots, celery, and onion or fennel- this will go back into the pie

 fourth – make a rue

-in a medium/large saucepan, melt butter

-once melted add the flour little bits at a time and stir

-you should have chunks of butter mixed with flour

-while constantly stirring, slowly add the liquid stock

-this will take a lot of stirring-keep going until you have a good amount of rue

-the rue should be like a semi-thick gravy

-add salt and pepper if needed after taste test

Fifth – combine

-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius

-add celery, carrot, onion or fennel, and chicken, and potatoes to the rue- stir

-add salt, pepper, rosemary or thyme after tasting if needed

-take pastry sheets out of the freezer to warm up

-once pastry is soft, fit one sheet into the bottom and sides of baking pan

-fill the cooled down filling onto the pastry up to the top of the pan

-place the second piece of pastry over the top and seal the ends and sides using your fingers

-make slits in the pie, like a checkerboard

-baste with lightly beaten egg

-bake in oven for 30min

-once finished, rest for 10 min and serve

salad method

-in a salad bowl combine chopped tomatoes, red onion, rocket, spinach, candied walnuts, and pears

-dress with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon, honey, salt and pepper

-toss salad lightly and evenly distribute to plates

Your dinner is served! Enjoy!