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For pastry crust
For chicken broth
For roux
For filling
For wilted greens
Tear a piece of baking paper about 30 cm long.
Cut 300 g of cold unsalted butter into cubes.
Mix together 400 g flour, 1½ teaspoon fine salt and 1 teaspoon caster sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor.
Add 300 g of cold, cubed butter and mix to form breadcrumbs either with your fingertips, the paddle attachment or pulsed.
Pour 130 ml of ice-cold water into the butter and flour mixture, and mix briefly and quickly into a dough.
Tip the dough out onto the baking paper and use the paper to bring it together as it is sometimes a touch sticky.
Wrap the dough in cling film or a fresh sheet of baking paper and flatten into a disc.
Chill dough in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm.
While the dough is chilling, make the chicken broth: (about 1 hour)
Peel the carrot and cut it in half.
Cut the celery in half.
Peel the shallot and cut in half.
Cut the garlic bulb in half.
Cut parsley stalks from leaves.
Place the carrot, celery, shallot, garlic, 2 bay leaves and one bunch of parsley stalks in a large saucepan.
Remove skin from 1kg of chicken thighs. Add skinless chicken thighs to the saucepan.
Add 1 litre of water to saucepan.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring contents of the saucepan to a boil. Then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.
Skim off any white scum that collects on the top of the liquid and simmer for 30–40 minutes or until the chicken is tender (check it with a sharp knife).
Check the chicken is cooked through by removing one thigh from the saucepan and placing on a plate. Pierce the thickest part of the chicken with a skewer or fork and check the color of the juices that run out. If the juices are clear with no trace of pink, the chicken is done.
Once the chicken is done, carefully remove all chicken from the liquid and set aside to cool on a plate. Remove the chicken from the bones and break the meat up into bite-sized pieces with your hands or two forks. Discard the chicken bones.
Strain the liquid from the saucepan into a bowl, reserving the clear stock. There should be about 700 ml of stock.
Discard the vegetables, garlic and herbs.
After deboning the chicken thighs, make a roux: (5-10 minutes)
Melt 100 g of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
Add 100 g of plain flour to the melted butter and whisk well.
Cook over a low heat for 3–4 minutes until flour-butter mixture turns to a light blonde colour.
Gradually whisk in chicken stock, from above (there should be approximately 700ml), making sure to carefully remove any lumps.
Bring to a simmer, stirring until thickened.
Mix the filling: (5 minutes)
Once the roux has thickened stir in 100g crème fraîche, ½ tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of yeast extract, 1 bunch of sliced spring onions, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley leaves and chicken meat and mix well.
Taste the filling, then season with salt and pepper if preferred. Set aside and allow to cool while you prepare the pastry for atop the pie.
Roll out the dough (25-30 minutes)
Lightly dust a work surface with flour.
Gently knead the chilled pastry dough, then roll out to an approximately 5–6mm/¼in thickness, creating a 2cm/1in larger round than the 26cm/10½in casserole or pie dish.
Slide the pastry round onto a baking tray and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
While the dough is chilling,
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Fill a 26cm/10½in round casserole or ovenproof pie dish with the cooled chicken filling.
Assemble the pie and bake: (10 minutes + 45 minutes baking)
Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and drape the round over the filled dish, tucking excess pastry down into the dish around the sides.
Pinch the pastry every 1–2cm around the edge to form an attractive finish and to help secure the filling.
Beat an egg in a small bowl.
Brush all over the pastry with the egg wash.
Poke a hole in the middle of the pastry lid with the tip of a sharp knife.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown all over and the filling is bubbling up a little through the middle.
To serve
Cut into slices and serve with wilted greens.
Make the pastry crust: (10-15 minutes mixing, 2 hours of chilling time)
Total time: about 3 hours of prep + 45 minutes of baking