Sunday Kitchen: Michael Van de Elzen’s chicken pie recipe

Michael Van de Elzen with Bee's famous chicken pie. Photo / Brett Phibbs

What does Sunday in your kitchen look like?

Usually very chill. Each weekend is different, depending on what events we have on at the Good From Scratch Cookery School and what everyone’s schedules are like. We often have classes or private events in the school on a Saturday, especially heading into the festive season, so Sunday often is our only day to have quality family time in the weekend.

Sunday is pie day in our family, we usually have a family-style pie with salad or vegetables to round out the week. A hearty pie is one of those dishes you can make as simple or as fancy as you like, and there are endless fillings to keep it interesting.

Why have you chosen this recipe?

This is one of our family favourites, and is actually my wife’s recipe. I like to make it with extra leek to get the green content up. There is nothing like a warming pie that we can sit down together as a family on a Sunday to enjoy and reset for the week.

This recipe can be adapted to be either one family-sized pie or smaller, individual portions – which you can also freeze for another Sunday if you choose! The secret ingredient is the Dijon – it really kicks the flavour up a notch.

Photo / Brett Phibbs

Bee's famous chicken pie

Makes 1 family size pie

1 x size 12 free-range chicken 3 Tbsp olive oil Pinch salt Pinch black pepper 1 leek 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 50g butter 50g flour 300ml milk 1 cup frozen peas 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard Cooking spray 2 sheets puff pastry 1 egg 1 Tbsp milk 100g rocket leaves, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then rub with 2 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken in a roasting dish and pop into oven. Roast for 1 hour or until juices run clear. Allow to cool slightly before removing skin and picking all meat off the bird. Set aside. (Keep the chicken carcass to make stock!)

2. Thinly slice the leek, rinse and sauté in remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large saucepan until soft. Remove and set aside. Sauté garlic in butter until soft. Stir in flour and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Gradually pour in first measure of milk, stirring well between additions. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes once all milk has been added to thicken sauce. Add leek, chicken meat, peas and mustard, and stir well to combine.

3. Spray a family-size pie dish with cooking spray and lay a sheet of pastry in the bottom. Spoon in chicken mix. Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp milk to make eggwash. Lay the second sheet of pastry over the top. With your fingers, press the two sheets of pastry together around the edges. Prick the top sheet with a fork and brush with eggwash. Bake pie in oven for 25-30 minutes.

4. Serve with homemade tomato relish (see below) and rocket leaves.

Tomato relish Makes about 1 cup

1 small onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 x 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary 1 Tbsp honey Pinch salt Pinch pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by about one third.