400 g fresh or frozen chopped onion, carrot & celery mix
6 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
3 teaspoons dried thyme
250 g plain flour
125 g unsalted butter (cold)
3 teaspoons English mustard
2 x 400g tins of cream of mushroom soup
a splash of semi-skimmed milk
640 g frozen peas
Description
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Take the frozen veg out of the freezer and place on a plate to start defrosting.
Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the skin from the chicken thighs, then place the pieces of skin in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the fat has rendered out and the skin is crisp. Meanwhile, carefully de-bone the thigh meat and chop into 2½cm chunks (don’t throw the bones away – see tip).
Remove the skin from the pan (leaving the rendered fat behind), then finely chop and transfer to a large plate.
Place the chicken thigh meat into the pan with 2 teaspoons of thyme and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add the chopped veg mix and spinach and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Put the flour in a bowl with a good pinch of sea salt. Grate in the cold butter, then rub with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle in the remaining thyme and mix well, then pour in 3 tablespoons of cold water and mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands until it forms a dough, adding an extra splash of water, if needed. Roll into a ball, then set aside to rest.
Once the time’s up on the veg, go in with the mustard and mushroom soup. Mix well, season with a pinch of salt and black pepper and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, spoon into a 26cm round pie dish and set aside to cool slightly.
Flatten the pastry with your hands until you have a round piece of dough just bigger than the pie dish. Sprinkle over the crispy chicken skin and use a rolling pin to squash it into the pastry.
Brush a little milk over the rim of the dish, carefully lay over the pastry and use your hands to crimp the overhang to seal, then brush over another splash of milk (or any remaining sauce from the pan).
Make a small incision in the centre of the pie (so the steam can escape) and bake at the bottom of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the pie is piping hot. Cook the peas in the microwave according to the packet instructions, drain, then serve alongside the pie.
