Hairy Bikers Chicken and Tarragon Pie

Scrunched filo, cooked chicken, and a good handful of tarragon are all it takes for this Hairy Bikers chicken and tarragon pie. It comes from the Perfect Pies cookbook, serves 5 to 6, and the crème fraîche filling needs no long cooking at all.

Justine, a friend of the Hairy Bikers, gave them this one, and you can tell it started life in a real family kitchen. Her filo topping bakes up crisp and light, which keeps the whole pie under 600 calories a slice.

Use ready-cooked or leftover roast chicken here, since that is the whole point of this speedy pie. Just make sure the wine and stock reduce down properly first, so the filling is thick and not sloppy.

Hairy Bikers Chicken and Tarragon Pie

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British French Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 30 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:460 kcal Best Season:Winter

Description

Onion and garlic soften in butter, then white wine and a stock cube reduce down to a thick, savoury base. Cooked chicken is torn in and tossed with crème fraîche, tarragon, and flour, then spooned into a dish and topped with scrunched, buttered filo before baking until crisp and golden.

Ingredients

For the filling

• Small knob of butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 150ml white wine
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1kg whole cooked chicken (or 550g cooked chicken meat)
• 400ml crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping

• 40g butter, melted
• 4 filo pastry sheets (each about 32 x 38cm), thawed if frozen

Instructions

1. Soften the onion: Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and garlic, then fry gently for 5 to 6 minutes until softened but not coloured.
2. Reduce the wine: Pour in the white wine and crumble in the stock cube, stirring until it dissolves. Simmer over a high heat, stirring, until the liquid has reduced by half and thickened, then take it off the heat.
3. Mix the filling: Strip the cooked chicken from the bone and tear it into bite-sized pieces in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture, spoon over the crème fraîche, then scatter in the tarragon and flour. Season well, toss together, and spoon into a 1.5-litre pie dish. Preheat the oven to 210°C, Fan 190°C, Gas 6½.
4. Top with filo: Brush a sheet of filo with melted butter and cut it into 6. Scrunch up each piece and place it on the filling, then repeat with the rest until the top is covered.
5. Bake: Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, until the filo is crisp and golden and the filling is bubbling beautifully.

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FAQs

How much cooked chicken do I need, and can I use leftovers?

You need about 550g of cooked chicken meat, which is roughly one small roast chicken stripped from the bone. A shop-bought rotisserie bird works perfectly and makes this a genuine ten-minute assembly job.

Leftover Sunday roast chicken is ideal, so this pie is a brilliant way to use up the bird. If you are cooking chicken specially, poach or roast it first, then let it cool before you build the pie.

Can I use shortcrust or puff pastry instead of filo?

The filo keeps it lighter, but you can easily swap in shortcrust or puff if you want a more traditional pie. You would blind-bake a shortcrust base first, then add a lid and bake until golden.

Filo needs no blind baking though, since you just scrunch the buttered sheets on top and bake. That crisp, crackly topping is what makes this version feel a bit special.

How can I change up the flavours?

Yes, a couple of rashers of smoked bacon fried with the onion add a lovely savoury depth. A teaspoon of mustard stirred through the filling works well too, and cider can stand in for the wine.

For a chicken, leek and tarragon pie, soften a sliced leek with the onion at the start. The leek melts into the crème fraîche beautifully and makes the filling feel even more comforting.

Does it freeze well?

Yes, this one freezes well before baking, so build it fully but cool the filling completely before the filo goes on. Wrap it tightly, then bake straight from frozen with an extra 10 to 15 minutes.

You know it is ready when the filling bubbles at the edges and the filo is crisp and golden. Any leftovers keep for three days chilled and reheat nicely, though the filo softens a touch.

What goes well on the side?

Something green and simple is all it needs, since the filling is already rich and creamy. Peas, green beans, or buttered cabbage cut through it nicely.

The chicken noodle soup is a handy way to use the rest of a roast bird. If you love these flavours, the tarragon chicken serves them as a sauce instead, and for more comforting pies the chicken and mushroom pie or chicken and leek pie are both worth a look.