Hairy Bikers Chicken and Ham Tangle Pie Recipe

This Hairy Bikers chicken tangle pie layers torn chicken, smoked ham, and a creamy leek and white wine sauce under scrunched filo pastry. The recipe comes from the Hairy Dieters cookbook and serves 5 at just 429 kcal in about an hour.

The headnote promises a filling ‘so rich and creamy’ you would never guess it runs on half-fat crème fraîche. That richness comes from 300g of lighter crème fraîche mixed into the filling, which replaces the heavy roux you would normally build for a pie.

Scrunching the filo gives this pie its name and texture, since each oiled rectangle crumples into a loose ball before going on top. Flat filo would give a thin lid, but scrunched shapes trap air and bake into golden shards that shatter on contact.

Hairy Bikers Chicken and Ham Tangle Pie Recipe

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

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour Servings:5 servingsCalories:429 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A chicken and ham tangle pie where cooked chicken is torn off the bone, tossed with ham strips and a wine and leek sauce, then baked under ruffled filo until the pastry crackles and the filling bubbles.

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 medium leek, trimmed and cut into thin slices
• 100ml white wine
• 150ml water
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1kg whole cooked chicken
• 100g sliced smoked ham
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 300g half-fat crème fraîche
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Topping

• 3 sheets filo pastry, each about 38 × 30cm
• 1½ to 2½ tsp sunflower oil

Instructions

1. Soften the vegetables: Heat 2 tsp of sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a low heat, then add the onion and crushed garlic. Fry gently for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured, stirring occasionally, then add the leek and cook for 1 minute more while stirring constantly.
2. Build the sauce base: Pour in the white wine and 100ml of the water, then dissolve the stock cube by squishing it with a wooden spoon. Simmer on a high heat while stirring constantly until the liquid has reduced by about half, then take the pan off the heat.
3. Prepare the chicken and ham: Strip the skin from the chicken and tear the meat off the bones into bite-sized pieces. Cut the ham into strips about 1.5cm wide, then place both the chicken and ham in a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour on top and toss lightly together.
4. Combine the filling: Add the onion and stock mixture, the remaining water, and the crème fraîche to the bowl. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper, then stir everything until just combined. Spoon into a 1.5-litre pie dish.
5. Prepare the filo topping: Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Stack the three filo sheets on top of each other and cut through all layers to divide into 9 rectangles.
6. Scrunch and top: Put the oil in a small bowl. One at a time, brush each filo rectangle lightly with oil and very loosely scrunch it up, then place each piece on top of the filling close together until the surface is completely covered.
7. Bake until golden: Place the pie in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the filo is crisp and golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve with green vegetables, since there is no need for extra potatoes or rice.

FAQs

Can I use leftover roast chicken for tangle pie?

Yes, and that is exactly what the recipe is designed for, since it calls for a 1kg whole cooked chicken. A medium Sunday roast is the right size, because you get roughly 500g of meat once you strip the skin and bones. The book suggests 500g of cooked breast as a swap, though dark meat from the legs adds more flavour.

What makes a tangle pie different from a regular chicken pie?

The topping is the difference. A regular chicken pie uses shortcrust or puff sealed over the top, but a tangle pie swaps in scrunched filo brushed with just a little oil. That swap cuts the calories from 770 in their chicken and leek pie to 429, since filo needs a fraction of the fat that shortcrust carries.

Do Hairy Bikers have other filo-topped pies?

Yes, their chicken and tarragon pie from Perfect Pies uses the same scrunched filo method with a different filling underneath. Instead of ham and leek, the tarragon version uses a handful of fresh tarragon with butter in the base, which gives it a richer feel. Both start with cooked chicken torn off the bone, so if you made one pie this week you could try the other next time.

Can I make the filling ahead of time?

You can prepare the filling the night before and keep it covered in the fridge, which helps the flavours settle into the chicken. The filo must go on fresh just before baking though, because any moisture from the filling will turn it soggy if it sits overnight. To freeze, store just the filling for up to three months, then thaw completely and top with fresh filo before baking.

What goes well with chicken and ham tangle pie?

The recipe suggests green vegetables with no need for potatoes or rice, since the filling is already substantial. Steamed broccoli or buttered cabbage both work, because they cut through the creamy sauce without adding weight.

For a two-course meal, their leek and potato soup before the pie is a natural match since leek appears in both. And if you want another easy chicken supper later in the week, their chicken stew and dumplings is a cosy one-pot that comes together quickly.