Spicy Chicken Pie
This has become a favourite for Boxing Day tea or a picnic in the summer, relatively easy to make and always comes out well:
First make the pastry, using the hot water method [although you can also use shortcrust for a more crumbly texture]
8 oz plain flour
½ tsp salt
3½ oz lard
4 fl oz milk and water [mixed equally]
Heat the lard in a saucepan gently with the milk and water; when the lard is melted leave to cool for a minute or two.
Put the flour and salt into a bowl and mix.
Stir the warm milk, water and lard into the flour mix and mix well, when it has come together beat till the dough has a glossy shine.
Roll out the dough, cut off approximately a third of it and put this to one side.
Heat the oven to 190 for a fan oven.
Gently place the larger piece of dough into a loose bottom cake tin [appx 20cm wide] taking the dough up the sides of the tin.
Now add the filling as though making a patchwork quilt ~ placing the ingredients evenly over the surface of the dough, usually there is enough to make two layers:
2 raw chicken breasts ~ cut into bite sized pieces
1 pack apricot and almond stuffing [Waitrose sell this]
Third of a jar of spicy peach chutney [Waitrose]
2 tsp Ras El Hanout spice
Place the top on the pie, crimping the pastry around the edge, brush the top with milk and make a small hole for the steam to escape.
Bake at 190 [fan] for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 160 for a further 20 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin
This can be eaten warm or cold.
