Warmer weather always has me dreaming of elaborate picnics, just like the ones my mum used to take us on as kids. She made superlative chicken pies, and I always think of them at this time of year. Mum would use shop-bought pastry, but here I’ve made a herby rough puff to up the summery feeling. The onion and anchovy turnovers, meanwhile, are the perfect pocket savouries to keep you going on a long walk or day out. You could always make one batch of pastry and halve the amount of both fillings, so you can have some of each.
Chicken and herb pie
Prep 15 min
Chill 1 HR 20 min
Cool 1 hr
Cook 2 hr 10 min
Serves 4-6
For the herby rough puff pastry
50g flat-leaf parsley, picked and finely chopped
1 bunch lemon thyme, leaves stripped and finely chopped, stalks reserved for the filling
300g cold unsalted butterdiced
500g plain white stone-ground flour
A pinch of fine salt
A little milkfor brushing
For the filling
1 lemonzest finely grated, the fruit left whole
1 bunch dill, leaves picked
1 bunch tarragon, leaves picked
1 medium-sized chicken
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
½ tsp black peppercorns
Salt and black pepper
50g butterplus extra for greasing
1 bunch spring onionstrimmed and sliced
3 rashers streaky baconroughly chopped
50g flour
250g creme fraiche
Egg wash or creamfor brushing
Flaky sea salt
To make the pastry, combine the herbs with the butter, kneading them through until you have a brightly speckled butter, then chill for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, get on with the pie filling. Put the zested lemon and herb stalks in a large pan with the chicken, onion, garlic and peppercorns. Cover with water, bring to a simmer, then add a couple of generous pinches of salt and poach for about 45 minutes, until the chicken legs pull away easily from the body. Leave to cool in the stock for an hour.
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Retrieve the chilled butter, cut it into chunks and toss these through the seasoned flour until every chunk is well coated. Flatten the pieces of butter between your fingertips, then pour over 220g cold water and toss through the butter and flour. Squeeze the mix together with your hands, until you have a shaggy-looking lump of dough.
Roll out the dough into a 30cm x 15cm rectangle, then cut it into three 5cm x 15cm strips. Stack these on top of each other, turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and stacking once more. Chill for an hour.
Now lift out the cooled chicken and strip off all the meat. Strain the stock, return it to the pan and reduce to 500ml.
In a second pan, melt the butter, then fry the spring onions and bacon for three to five minutes, until the onions are soft. Sprinkle in the flour, cook until you have a thick roux, then add the reduced stock and cook for a few minutes until thickened. Stir in the creme fraiche, reserved lemon zest, herbs and chicken meat, season with salt and pepper, then leave to cool.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 and lightly grease a 23cm springform tin. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry until it’s large enough to line the tin with some overhang. Use the rolled out pastry to line the tin, then spoon in all the filling. Roll out the remaining pastry until it’s large enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush the edges with a little water, then drape the pastry over the pie to enclose it. Trim the edges, then press all around with the back of a fork to seal. Use any pastry offcuts to decorate the top.
Put on a lined baking tray, brush with egg wash or cream, sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper, and cut a small vent or two in the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until deeply golden and bubbling. Leave to cool slightly before unmoulding from the tin.
Onion and anchovy turnovers
Prep 10 min
Chill 1 HR 20 min
Cook 1 hr 40 min
Makes About 18
For the herby rough puff pastry
50g flat-leaf parsley, picked and finely chopped
1 bunch lemon thyme, leaves stripped and finely chopped
300g cold unsalted butterdiced
500g plain white stone-ground flour
A pinch of fine salt
For the filling
75g butter
6-8 tinned or jarred anchovy filletsdrained and chopped, plus 2 tsp oil from the tin or jar
5 medium-large mixed onionspeeled and thinly sliced
2 big pinches of salt
Black pepper
To make the pastry, combine the chopped herbs with the butter, kneading until it’s evenly speckled, then chill for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan on a medium heat, add the anchovies and two teaspoons of their oil, and cook, stirring, until the fish break down. Add the onions, salt, plenty of pepper and two tablespoons of water, and stir well. Cover and leave to cook over a medium heat for 45 minutes, until the onions are very soft.
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Retrieve the chilled butter, cut it into chunks and toss them through the flour until every chunk is well coated. Flatten the pieces of butter between your fingertips, then pour over 220g cold water. Toss the water through the butter and flour, then start to squeeze the mix together with your hands, until you have a shaggy-looking lump of dough.
Roll out the dough into a 30cm x 15cm rectangle, then cut it into three 5cm x 15cm strips. Stack the strips on top of each other, turn 90 degrees, then repeat the rolling, cutting and stacking process once more. Chill for an hour.
When the onions are very soft, take off the lid and carry on cooking for about 20 minutes more, until the onions have started to deepen in colour. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and cut it in half. Firmly tap both pastry halves with the length of the rolling pin, to flatten them. Roll one piece into a large square about 3mm thick, then cut into nine even squares. Chill in the fridge while you roll and cut the other pastry half.
Lay out all the pastry squares on a work surface and divide the onion filling between them. Fold each turnover into a triangle, and press the edges with the back of a fork to seal. Put on a lined baking tray, sprinkle with flaky salt and black pepper, and cut a small vent into each turnover. Bake at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
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