This recipe is from Gordon Ramsay’s book “Home Cooking”.
What makes this pie unusual is that the filling is cooked separately from the dough, and it is served unmolded. This is also a feature – the dough is crispier because it doesn’t get soggy from contact with the filling.
If you cook for more people – just double the amount of filling, and the amount of dough will depend on the size of the serving plate with which you will cut the dough.
⏱ Cooking time — 55 minutes overall. Includes 45 minutes of preparation and cooking + 10 minutes unattended.
🥣 Ingredients
🍽 For 2-3 servings:
- 50 g (1,8 oz) pancetta (or smoked brisket)
- 1 stalk of leek (I did not use)
- 200 g (7,1 oz) celery root
- 200 g (7,1 oz) pumpkin
- small bundle of thyme
- 50 ml (3,4 tbsp) of dry sherry (or other dry wine)
- 200 ml (0,9 cups) chicken stock
- 100 ml (6,8 tbsp) of crème fraîche (I substituted 20% fat sour cream)
- 200 g (7,1 oz) of puff pastry (I used about 250 g (8,8 oz))
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. water
- 250 g (8,8 oz) of boiled chicken meat (e.g. leftover from boiling broth)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil (or any neutral vegetable oil)
- salt, black pepper
- 2 pinches of flour
🔪Step by step Directions
Take 200 g (7,1 oz) of celery root, rinse under running water, peel with a knife. Cut into 1 cm wide plates, then into strips and small cubes. Transfer the cubes of celery root to a bowl.
Tear the leaves off the thyme stalks and add to the celery.
Take 200 grams (7,1 oz) of pumpkin, peel it and cut it into small cubes.
Then 50 g (1,8 oz) of pancetta also cut into cubes about 1 cm wide.
Place a large frying pan on the fire. In a dry frying pan, brown the pancetta for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring with a spatula. Transfer to paper towels and remove any excess fat from the pan.
Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil (or any neutral vegetable oil) in a frying pan, add chopped vegetables and thyme, salt and pepper. Saute for about 7 minutes, until soft.
Pour in 50 ml (3,4 tbsp) of dry sherry (or other dry wine) and boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring with a spatula.
Return the pancetta to the stockpot and pour in 200 ml (0,9 cups) of the chicken broth. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the liquid has doubled in volume.
Mix 100 ml (6,8 tbsp) of sour cream with 1-2 tbsp of water and add to the pan, stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce has boiled down to a third more. Taste for salt and season with more salt if needed. Remove from heat and set aside.
At this time, sprinkle flour on a work surface, a sheet of dough and a rolling pin and roll out 200 g (7,1 oz) of puff pastry (I used about 250 g (8,8 oz)) to a thickness of a few millimeters.
Using a small plate, cut out 3-4 circles.
On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, transfer the cut out circles of dough. Notch the surface of the dough with the tip of a sharp knife crosswise, in diamonds. (I skipped this step).
Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tsp water and brush the dough with the egg mixture. Bake for about 10 minutes to allow the dough to rise and brown.
Slightly open the oven door and bake for a couple more minutes, so the dough dries and becomes crispy.
Take out of the oven and cool.
Add 250 g (8,8 oz) of boiled chicken meat to the pan with the roasted vegetables and sauce and heat through. Place on plates, cover each portion with a pastry lid and serve.
Gordon Ramsay’s Chicken pie with fall vegetables
Ingredients
- 50 g pancetta (or smoked brisket)
- 1 stalk of leeks (I did not use)
- 200 g celery root
- 200 g pecan pumpkin
- small bundle of thyme
- 50 ml dry sherry (or other dry wine)
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 100 ml crème fraîche (I substituted 20 % fat sour cream)
- 200 g puff pastry (I used about 250g)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. water
- 250 g boiled chicken meat (e.g. leftover from boiling broth)
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil (or any neutral vegetable oil)
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 pinches flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °FPeel the celery root and cut into plates, then into strips and small cubes. Transfer the cubes of celery root to a bowl.Add the leaves from the thyme stems to the celery.
- Slice the pumpkin and pancetta into small cubes.
- In a dry pan, brown the pancetta for 3-4 minutes, stirring with a spatula. Transfer to paper towels and remove excess fat from pan.
- In a frying pan, heat olive oil (or any neutral vegetable oil), add chopped vegetables and thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for about 7 minutes, until soft.Pour in the sherry and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Return the pancetta to the skillet and pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has doubled in volume.Stir in the sour cream (mix it with 1-2 tbsp. of water beforehand) and cook for another 5 minutes, so that the sauce boils down to a third more. Taste it for salt, and add more salt if needed. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of a few millimeters. Use a plate to cut out 2-3 circles.
- Transfer the dough circles to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Score the surface of the dough with the tip of a sharp knife, crosswise, in diamonds.Mix the egg yolk with 1 tsp. water and brush the dough with the egg mixture. Bake for about 10 minutes to allow the dough to rise and brown. Slightly open the oven door and bake for a couple more minutes, so the dough dries out and becomes crispy.Take out of the oven and cool.
- Add the chicken to the pan with the vegetables and sauce and warm through. Arrange on plates, cover each portion with a pastry lid and serve.
