Individual chicken and bacon mini-cocotte pie

Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes , takes us to England with this version of the classic British chicken pie. Rosa presents us with a really tasty version, but I encourage you to see it with the investigative cook mode turned on, since playing with other ingredients, the ones you like the most, it will become one of your most versatile recipes.

Today's recipe is synonymous with resounding success at home. And no, it's not sweet! But we will need to resort to the oven in any case, and with that I am already satisfied. It is perfect when the temperatures begin to drop and you feel like taking out the spoon and enjoying a comforting meal that is very hot and full of flavour. This is a dish with a great tradition in British cuisine: the chicken pie (or chicken pie). However, due to the popular and common nature of its ingredients and the resulting fantastic combination, it is a really tasty bite for almost any palate, regardless of latitude.

Generally, it is usually prepared in a single baking dish from which each diner is served, but on this occasion, I have chosen to prepare it in an individual version using these beautiful and tremendously versatile mini-cocottes from Le Creuset ; not only do they ensure perfect cooking of the ingredients, but their aesthetics as an individual dish are ideal for enjoying this simple delicacy with all the senses.

It goes without saying that making our own shortcrust pastry at home is really a success, although it is not essential, because today you can find it already prepared and of good quality in practically any supermarket, either frozen or fresh. However, if you decide to do it at home for the first time, I assure you that it is a very simple task; It only requires some refrigeration time —we have to ensure that it stays cold throughout the process—, and minimal manipulation. Neither risen nor kneaded and with the most basic ingredients: flour, butter and very cold water. Actually, there are almost as many versions of shortcrust pastry as there are fans to prepare it, but the old formula of 3:2:1 always works perfectly for me, that is, 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter and 1 part water. Simple as can be, right?

Regarding the ingredients of the filling, whatever you choose, it is important that you use quality products, whether fresh or canned (I invite you to see the new Claudia&Julia Pantry , because the preserves are in many cases artisanal and made from fresh fruits. of great quality), like the ones I have used in this recipe. The relationship of those indicated here is the combination that I usually use, but there is nothing set in stone when it comes to chicken pot pie. It is a highly adaptable recipe to the taste of the consumer. The use of bacon is totally optional; I usually include it because it brings juiciness to the chicken, which, in general, sins precisely the opposite. The same happens with mushrooms (you can add them or not), leeks (perfectly substitutable for celery, for example) or the type of aromatic herbs used (tarragon, sage, thyme, coriander, parsley, etc.); everything depends a little on the personal taste of each one. I can't wait to know what your favorite version of your chicken pot pie would be…

INGREDIENTS (for 6 mini-cocottes or ramekins of about 10 cm Ø)

For the homemade shortcrust pastry:

• 180 g normal wheat flour (+ extra flour for kneading)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 120g chilled unsalted butter, even frozen, cut into 2cm cubes
• 60-75 ml approx. ice water
• 1 egg for brushing

• 150 g of smoked bacon
• 350 g free-range chicken, boneless and trimmed of skin and fat (preferably thigh and thigh)
• 2 small chives
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 leeks
• 150 g of boletus
• 80 g of fine peas
• 2 level tablespoons of fine cornmeal (Maizena type)
• 500 ml chicken broth
• 125ml white wine
• 3 tablespoons of liquid cooking cream
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• curly or common parsley
• Salt and ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

*1 tablespoon=15 ml; 1 teaspoon=5ml*

Elaboration

From the shortcrust pastry:

(If you are going to use prepared shortcrust pastry, go directly to the preparation of the filling)

1. To make our own homemade shortcrust pastry, we begin by placing the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk until completely combined.
2. Next, add the cold butter, cut into cubes, and work it lightly with your fingertips or with the help of two knives, just enough until it is more or less integrated and covered with flour; We will obtain a handful of irregular "crumbs", but there should still be visible remains of uncombined butter and flour. It is very important not to over mix, so that the butter does not get hot and soften.
3. Next, we add the ice water; We start by first adding 3 tablespoons progressively while we mix everything with our hands until a dough is formed that remains more or less bound and easily detaches from the walls and bottom of the bowl. If necessary, we can add the rest of the water, always gradually (we may not need all of it) until we manage to compact the mass into a block.
4. Finally, we shape into a ball and flatten slightly, wrap with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or even overnight).

From the filling:

1. Meanwhile, we take the opportunity to prepare the filling. We start by cutting the bacon into strips and fry it directly without oil in a wide pan over medium heat for about 4–5 minutes until lightly browned but not crisp. Drain until as much fat as possible is removed and transfer to a separate medium casserole. We booked.

2. Next, we cut the chicken into rather small pieces, season with salt and pepper and fry (if we use the same frying pan, it must be clean of fat) with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for about 5-7 minutes, stirring from time to time. when until all the pieces have been made equally. We reserve together with the bacon in the same casserole.

3. Next, finely chop the onion and saute it in another 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil along with a pinch of salt until transparent. Next, we add the garlic, also very finely chopped, and the leeks , cut into slices. We saute everything together for about 5 minutes until everything is well poached.

4. Then add the mushrooms , previously chopped, and continue cooking until all the flavors are well mixed (about 3 more minutes) stirring from time to time.

5. Now add the peas and sauté everything for 1 more minute. Once we have everything well poached, we add it to the casserole with the bacon and chicken and reserve.

6. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in about 60 ml (about 4 tablespoons) of the chicken broth, making sure there are no lumps.

7. Then add the rest of the liquid ingredients to our casserole (the rest of the chicken broth, the white wine and the liquid cream) as well as the dissolved cornstarch and cook it all together over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. .

8. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste, add finely chopped thyme and parsley (only the leaves) and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes until the sauce reduces, the alcohol evaporates and thickens slightly, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking at the bottom. Turn off the heat and let cool completely.

Assembly and baking:

1. When the filling begins to be more or less cold, we remove the dough from the refrigerator (if it is too cold and does not allow itself to be handled easily, we can leave it at room temperature for about 5 minutes to acclimate). On a work surface, previously floured, we spread the dough directly, without stretching or kneading, with the help of a rolling pin , always from the center outwards, until obtaining a thickness of about 0.5 cm.

To prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface, we will sprinkle lightly with flour and turn as we extend it. It is very important not to overdo the flour so as not to spoil the final texture of the dough. We can also place the dough between two sheets of baking paper or transparent film (in this case we have to peel them off often to prevent folds from forming in the dough).

2. Next, with a very sharp knife , we cut the necessary portions of dough to cover our individual cakes. It is best to use the same containers in which we are going to cook them ( mini-cocottes or ramekins ) as a guide, but we will leave an extra 1cm margin around it, to easily seal it later. Place the discs of dough on a flat tray, cover with plastic wrap and put back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, we preheat the oven (electric and fanless) to 200°C and place the oven tray, previously covered with baking paper, at half height.

4. Next, we distribute the already cold filling between the containers until just the edge and, with the help of a kitchen brush , we paint the edges of the containers with the beaten egg.

5. Next, we remove the dough discs from the refrigerator and place them on the containers, making sure that they are well sealed. If we prefer, we can decorate the edges as we like: with the tines of a fork or giving the edge some decorative shape, wavy, braided, etc. (In this case, it is convenient to add a little extra dough around it to model it better).

6. Paint the surface of the dough again with the egg and, with the help of a very sharp knife , cut a couple or three slits in the upper central part to allow steam to escape during cooking and thus not soften the dough. excess dough.

7. Finally, place the mini-cocottes on the baking sheet and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the pastry has turned a nice golden hue and the juices from the filling are bubbling through the slits.

8. Let cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack and serve still hot.

Grades:

- If you've decided to make shortcrust pastry at home, congratulations! Your chicken pot pie will be hard to beat. And while you're at it, and with how versatile this dough is and how well it freezes (always before baking), why not double the quantities and thus have reserves for future recipes? To keep it frozen (it lasts perfectly 2-3 months, depending on the freezer), it must be well wrapped to prevent the cold from damaging it, first in transparent film and then in aluminum foil. When using it, we leave it in the fridge overnight until it thaws. Next, we spread with the rolling pin and proceed according to the chosen recipe.

- In this recipe, I only use shortcrust pastry to cover the cake, as it is quite a filling dish. However, in case you prefer to also cover the base and close it completely, you will only have to double the amounts of the ingredients and completely cover the inside of the containers with another larger disk of dough.

- Although the result will vary, you can substitute the shortcrust pastry for puff pastry. Exquisite, in any case.

- Maybe you prefer to make a single cake for everyone and that everyone has their share; perfect, you should use an oven-safe dish and increase the baking time by about 5-10 minutes or until you see that it has acquired that much-desired golden hue and that the juices of the filling bubble through the grooves.

- In case there is leftover, you can keep it well covered with transparent film and refrigerated for a maximum of 2 days. When reheating it, put it in the lower third of the oven, preheated to 160ºC, for about 15 minutes. If you find that the surface is browning too much, you can cover it with some aluminum foil, placed loosely over the pan(s).

- As an accompaniment, nothing better than a rich and generous fresh salad.

Enjoy your meal and happy weekend!
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