Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Pot Pie with Veal Meatballs and Homemade Pastry

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Peel and roughly chop the onions and carrots, then peel the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks. Trim, halve and wash the leeks, then finely slice. Place a large pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Chop all the chicken into 3cm chunks, roughly chop the bacon, and add both to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, or until lightly golden, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, carrots, potatoes and leeks, then cook for a further 15 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the butter, then stir in the flour to coat. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring continuously, then add the mustard and crème fraîche. Tie the woody herb sprigs together with string to make a bouquet garni and add to the pan. Cook for 10 more minutes, stirring regularly, then season with white pepper.

Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the flour and a good pinch of sea salt into a bowl with the suet, cube and add the butter, then use your thumbs and forefingers to rub the fat into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Slowly stir in 100ml of ice-cold water, then use your hands to gently bring it together into a ball, but don’t overwork it. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes, while you make the meatballs. Pick and finely chop the sage, season with salt and pepper, then, using your hands, scrunch and mix with the veal. Roll into 3cm balls, then gently place in a large pan on a medium heat with ½ a tablespoon of oil and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden all over, jiggling occasionally for even cooking.

Transfer the pie filling to a large oval dish (25cm x 30cm), discarding the bouquet garni. Leave to cool, then dot the meatballs on top. Roll out the pastry on a clean flour-dusted surface so it’s slightly bigger than your pie dish. Eggwash the edges of the dish, then carefully place the pastry on top of the pie, trimming off any overhang. Pinch the edges to seal, and make a small incision in the centre for the steam to escape. Use any spare pastry to decorate the pie, if you like. Eggwash the top, then bake for around 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the pie is piping hot. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Really good with steamed seasonal greens.

CALORIES 656kcal FAT 36.3g SAT FAT 18.3g PROTEIN 36.4g CARBS 48.9g SUGAR 6.9g SALT 1.9g FIBRE 4.6g