James Martin Chicken And Ham Pie

James Martin Chicken and Ham Pie is a proper deep-filled pie made with a whole poached chicken, chunky ham, a tarragon cream sauce built from the poaching stock, and a lid of puff pastry that bakes golden and flaky at 180°C in 30 minutes. Most of the two hours this takes is the chicken sitting on the hob doing its thing, so it is far less effort than it looks.

I spotted this approach on jamesmartinchef.co.uk where James Martin makes a Chicken and Mushroom Pie with a whole poached bird and a tarragon cream sauce, and it felt like the perfect base for a Chicken and Ham Pie. He does not have a ham version on his website or in any of his books that I could track down, so the mushroom-to-ham swap is mine but the technique is all his.

Poaching the whole bird in stock rather than frying or roasting the meat first is what gives the sauce its richness, because the bones and skin release body into the liquid during the 40-minute simmer and that same stock becomes your sauce. James Martin stirs chopped tarragon through the filling as well as using it in the poaching water, which doubles the herb flavour without overpowering the chicken.

James Martin Chicken And Ham Pie

Author: Imen Dridi Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time:1 hour 30 minutesRest time: 10 minutesTotal time:2 hours Servings:6 servingsCalories:520 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

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Whole chicken poached in tarragon stock, shredded into a creamy sauce with chunks of ham, then topped with puff pastry and baked until golden. The sauce is built from the poaching liquid so nothing goes to waste.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• A few sprigs of tarragon
• Chicken stock to cover
• 50g butter
• 25g plain flour
• 100ml double cream
• 200g cooked ham, cut into chunks
• 25g butter (for the mushroom stage, now used to fry the ham briefly)
• 1 small bunch of tarragon, chopped
• 300g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk

To serve:

• Broccolini
• 25g butter
• Splash of water

Instructions

1. Poach the chicken: Put the whole chicken and tarragon sprigs into a large saucepan, cover with chicken stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes. Leave to cool, drain off the stock and keep 1 litre. Shred all the meat off the carcass.
2. Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 180°C.
3. Make the sauce: In a large pan melt the butter, whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the stock to make a smooth sauce. Add the shredded chicken and chopped tarragon and stir to combine.
4. Add the ham: Pan fry the ham chunks briefly for 2 minutes, then add to the chicken sauce along with the double cream. Season well and stir gently to mix, then spoon into individual pie dishes.
5. Top with pastry: Brush the rim of each pie dish with egg wash, then lay the puff pastry over the filling. Crimp the edges to seal, then brush the pastry top with egg wash and place the dishes on a baking tray.
6. Bake: Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and the filling is piping hot.
7. Serve the greens: Put the butter and a splash of water into a pan, bring to the boil, add the broccolini and cook for 2 minutes. Serve alongside the pies.

Keywords:James Martin Chicken and Ham Pie, Chicken and Ham Pie, James Martin Pie Recipe

FAQs

Can I add mushrooms back in alongside the ham?

Yes, fry 200g of chopped button mushrooms in butter for two minutes and stir them into the filling with the ham so you get the best of both versions. The mushrooms soak up the tarragon sauce and give the pie an earthier flavour that pairs well with smoky ham. James Martin’s original uses 300g of mushrooms on their own, so dial it back if you are adding them as a second filling rather than the main one.

Can I use shortcrust pastry instead of puff?

Shortcrust works well if you prefer a sturdier, denser lid, similar to the pastry used in Chicken and Ham Pie. Puff pastry is what James Martin uses in his official recipe on jamesmartinchef.co.uk and it gives you those dramatic flaky layers on top. Whichever you use, brush it generously with egg wash so it colours properly in the oven.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken?

Whole chicken gives you far more flavour in the stock than breasts alone would, because the bones and skin release collagen into the liquid during the 40-minute simmer. That stock becomes the base of your sauce, so boneless breasts will give you a thinner, less flavourful filling. Use a whole bird if you can, and if you enjoy poultry pies try Chicken and Mushroom Pie which uses the same poaching method.

What cut of ham works best in this pie?

Thick-cut cooked ham from the deli counter or leftover gammon both work well since they hold their shape in the sauce instead of falling apart like thin sandwich slices do. Smoked ham adds a deeper savour to the filling, though unsmoked is just as good if that is what you have in the fridge. Cut it into chunky pieces so you get proper bites of ham alongside the chicken.

Can I put this together the night before?

The filling can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge, but lay the pastry on just before it goes into the oven since a wet filling underneath overnight will make the base of the pastry go soft. The filling will be cold from the fridge so give it an extra 5 minutes in the oven to make sure the centre is piping hot.