Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup thickly sliced carrots
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in ½-inch rounds
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whipping cream, optional
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 poached chicken, cut into chunks
• 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted (use larger peas)
• 1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 400F.

Put stock, carrots and leeks into a pot and simmer together for 5 minutes, or until carrots are softened slightly. Drain, and reserve stock and vegetables separately.

Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook until pale gold, about 4 minutes. Stir in chicken stock, cream, tarragon and lemon rind and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce is very thick and glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in peas, softened vegetables and poached chicken. Transfer filling to an 8x10-inch (2-litre) baking dish, mounding it in centre. Set aside.

Roll out pastry to ¼-inch thick and the right size to cover top of dish. Cut a 1-inch strip from edges of pastry. Brush edge of dish with water and lay the strip of pastry along the edge. Brush with egg. Lay remaining pastry on top of dish, sealing edges. Cut a steam vent into top of pie and decorate with any extra pastry. Brush with remaining egg. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden and mixture bubbles. Serves 6