There’s nothing tastier than sitting down to a pie when the weather is cold, as it is the ultimate comfort food. Making one from scratch doesn’t have to be a hassle either, with Mary’s recipe using shop-bought pastry. The recipe notes said: “This chicken and bacon pie would make a wonderful centrepiece for a family meal.
“My granddaughters Abby and Grace helped me to make it for the TV programme.” It serves six people and can be on the table in under two hours, perfect for a Sunday lunch. Ingredients: Six chicken legs Four celery sticks, diced Four bay leaves, roughly sliced 200ml white wine 300ml chicken stock 250g smoked bacon, cut into small pieces One large onion, roughly chopped 50g butter 60g plain flour Two tablespoons creme fraiche One tablespoon of grainy mustard Two 375g packets of ready-rolled puff pastry One egg, beaten Salt and pepper Method: Preheat the oven to 160C or 140C Fan and then put the chicken legs, celery and bay leaves into an ovenproof saucepan.
Pour over the wine and stock, seasoning to taste. Bring to a boil on medium heat, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Once cool, remove the meat from the bones, these can be reserved and used for a stock.
Break the meat into bite-sized pieces before transferring it to a bowl, straining the stock, reserving the celery and discarding the bay leaves. Measure the liquid, you should have 750ml but if not, make it up to this amount with stoke or w.
