Plain Old Chicken Pie (Simon's Blog Version)

Tempo

1h 10

Picante

Dificuldade

Médio

Rende

4porções

Ingredientes

rashers bacon, cut into strips (toucinho fatiado)

1 tsp

olive oil

125g mushrooms, sliced (cogumelo Paris)

250g chicken thighs (sem osso), cut into strips

25g plain flour

½ tsp

dried thyme (or fresh)

15g (1 tbsp) butter

300ml hot chicken stock

15ml (1 tbsp) Marsala (or dry sherry, or 1 tbsp white wine + 1 tsp sugar)

Pastry for base and lid (shortcrust or use the pastry recipe from `frango-coxa_chicken-and-leek-pie.md`)

egg, beaten (for glazing — optional)

Salt and pepper

Modo de preparo

01**Blind-bake the pastry base.** Roll out half your pastry, line a pie dish (about 20cm). Prick the bottom with a fork. Line with foil + baking beans (or rice). Bake at 200°C for 10-12 minutes; remove foil/beans; bake another 5 min until pale gold. Set aside.
02**Preheat oven** to **220°C / Gas 7** for the final bake.
03**Fry bacon and mushrooms.** In a heavy frying pan, fry the bacon strips in olive oil over medium-high until **beginning to crisp**. Add sliced mushrooms; soften them in the bacon fat.
04**Coat chicken.** In a freezer bag (or bowl), toss chicken strips with the flour and thyme. Shake to coat.
05**Brown chicken.** Melt butter in the bacon-mushroom pan. Add the floury chicken (and any flour left in the bag). Stir around with the bacon and mushrooms until **chicken begins to color**.
06**Make gravy.** Pour in the hot stock and Marsala. Stir to form a sauce. Let bubble away **about 5 minutes** until thickened.
07**Fill the pie.** Tip the filling into the blind-baked pastry shell. Roll out the rest of the pastry; lay over as a lid. Crimp edges to seal. Cut a small steam vent. Brush with beaten egg.
08**Bake.** **AFO at 220°C, 20-25 minutes** until top is golden-brown.
09**Rest 5 minutes** before slicing.

Plain Old Chicken Pie

Simon's household chicken pie — simpler than the Baker Brothers version, with bacon, mushrooms, chicken thighs, thyme, and a Marsala-laced gravy. Blind-baked pastry shell + filling + lid. Quick weeknight pie.

Heat: 0/5. No chile.

Serving

Buttered peas, mashed potatoes, gravy on the side if desired. A glass of the same wine you cooked with (or a beer).

Notes

Marsala matters. The fortified-wine sweetness deepens the gravy. If you can't find Marsala, dry sherry works; in a pinch, white wine + a pinch of sugar.
Blind-baking the base prevents soggy bottom. Don't skip — pies with soggy bottoms are a household disappointment.
Compared to the Baker Brothers version (frango-coxa_chicken-and-leek-pie.md): no leeks, no crème fraîche, no tarragon. Different character — more pub-style, less haute. Pick your mood.
Make-ahead. Filling can be made the day before. Pastry can be made the day before too. Assemble and bake same day.
Variations: add 50g frozen peas at step 6. Add a chopped carrot (small dice) at step 3 with the bacon.