Chicken and autumn vegetable pie

If you fancy making a larger pie, the ingredients in this recipe can easily be doubled to fill one large or 4 individual pie dishes. Use the chicken meat from the thigh and leg as it is less likely to dry out than the breast. Serves 2-3 50g pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 leek, trimmed and sliced 200g celeriac, peeled and cut into small cubes 200g butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes Handful of thyme sprigs, leaves picked Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 50ml dry sherry 200ml chicken stock 100ml crme fraiche 250g cooked chicken, cut into chunks 125g puff pastry 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water 1. Fry the pancetta in a hot dry pan for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden. Tip onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Wipe out the pan. Heat the oil in the pan and saut the vegetables with the thyme and some seasoning for about 7 minutes until softened. Pour in the sherry and bubble until well reduced. Return the pancetta to the pan and pour in the stock. Return the liquid to the boil and reduce by half. Stir in the crme fraiche and cook until the sauce has reduced by about a third. Check for seasoning then remove from the heat and set aside. Heat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a 1 coin. Invert a pie dish onto the pastry and cut around it to make a pastry lid. Stir the chicken in with the vegetables and then pour everything into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the pie dish with the egg wash. Using the rolling pin to help, lift the pastry lid up and over the dish. Score the pastry edges with the back of a knife and make a small hole in the middle to allow steam to escape during baking. Brush the pastry with the egg wash then bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is well risen, golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

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Copyright 2012 Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd.