Mary Berry’s Coq au Vin Pie
In this inspired recipe, Mary Berry turns the classic French dish coq au vin into a rich, hearty pie. Tender chicken and mushrooms in a red wine and tomato sauce encased in puff pastry? Yes please.
Introduction
A classic coq au vin but with a puff pastry topping. Why didn’t we think of this before?! Poaching the chicken gives a wonderful tender chicken filling. If you are in a hurry, you could poach 5 chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. If time allows, you can leave the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid.
Ingredients
| 1×1.5kg (3lb 5oz) | whole chicken |
| 2 sticks | celery, sliced |
| 1 large | onion, halved |
| 2 | carrots, sliced |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 2 | chicken stock pots or cubes |
| 1×500g block | puff pastry |
| 1 | egg, beaten |
| For the filling: | |
|---|---|
| 600ml (1 pint) | red wine |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 450g (1lb) | shallots, peeled and left whole |
| 200g (7oz) | smoked bacon, snipped into pieces |
| 200g (7oz) | button mushrooms |
| 3 large | garlic cloves, finely grated |
| 2 tbsp | tomato purée |
| 4 tbsp | brandy |
| 60g (2¼oz) | plain flour |
| 600ml (1 pint) | chicken stock |
| 2 tbsp | freshly chopped oregano |
| 2 tsp | Worcestershire sauce |
| Dash of | gravy browning (optional) |
| Pinch of | caster sugar (optional) |
Essential kit
You will need: a deep, round, lipped pie dish about 28cm (11in) diameter.
Method
To poach the chicken, place the whole chicken in a tight-fitting deep saucepan with a lid. Add the celery, onion, carrot, bay leaves, stock pots or cubes and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat to a very low simmer, cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through. Carefully remove the chicken to a dish and leave to cool.
Pour the wine into a saucepan and boil over a high heat for about 10 minutes to reduce by a third (to 300ml/½ pint). Set aside to cool.
Pour the oil into a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the shallots and bacon and fry for about 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly golden and nearly soft. Add the mushrooms and fry for a few more minutes. Add the garlic and tomato purée and fry for 10 seconds.
Mix the brandy and flour together in a bowl. Whisk together to make a paste. Pour in the reduced cold wine and whisk until smooth. Add this liquid to the pan and boil and bubble for a few seconds. Pour in the stock and bring up to the boil, stirring until thickened. Add the oregano, Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer for 4–5 minutes. Add the gravy browning and a pinch of sugar, if using. Set aside.
Remove the chicken meat from the carcass and slice into bite-sized pieces. Add the meat to the sauce, stir to incorporate, then spoon into the pie dish. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7.
Roll out the pastry to a rectangle bigger than the dish. Slice a long strip from the pastry and stick it to the lip of the dish using water. Brush the pastry on the lip with beaten egg, then lay the rectangle of pastry on top. Press down to seal. Trim the edges and crimp. Brush the surface with the beaten egg. Roll out any trimmings and create stars with a cutter and arrange them in the centre of the pie. Brush with more beaten egg. Use a small sharp knife to make a hole to allow the steam to escape and prevent the pastry from being soggy. Cook in the preheated oven for about 35–40 minutes, until well risen and golden on top and heated through in the middle.
Serve with green vegetables.
Mary’s Tips: Can be assembled up to 6 hours ahead. The filling can be made up to a day ahead. Freezes well with raw pastry on top.
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