This delicious Jamie Oliver Crème Fraîche Chicken Pie is a comforting and creamy dish, perfect for a cozy family meal. Featuring tender chicken, a rich mustard-infused sauce, and buttery homemade pastry, it’s both hearty and satisfying. This flexible recipe uses simple ingredients and pairs beautifully with wilted greens for an easy, wholesome dinner.
Ingredients Needed
For the pastry:
- 400g / 14oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1½ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 300g / 10½oz unsalted butter (cold, cut into cubes)
- 130ml / 4fl oz ice-cold water
- 1 free-range egg (beaten, for egg wash)
For the chicken filling:
- 1 carrot (peeled, halved)
- 1 celery stick (halved)
- 1 shallot (peeled, halved)
- 1 garlic bulb (halved)
- 1 bay leaf
- Bunch fresh flatleaf parsley stalks, plus 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1kg / 2lb 4oz chicken thighs (bone-in, skin removed)
- 100g / 3½oz unsalted butter
- 100g / 3½oz plain flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 100g / 3½oz crème fraîche
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp yeast extract (e.g., Marmite)
- A bunch of spring onions (finely chopped)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
- Wilted greens
How To Make Crème Fraîche Chicken Pie
- Make the pastry: Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl or mixer. Add the cold butter and mix until it forms breadcrumbs. Gradually add the ice-cold water and mix quickly to form a dough.
- Chill the dough: Tip the dough onto baking paper, bring it together, wrap it in cling film, and flatten it into a disc. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Prepare the chicken stock: Place the carrot, celery, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, parsley stalks, chicken thighs, and 1L / 1¾ pint water in a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the chicken: Skim any white scum from the surface and simmer for 30–40 minutes until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken, cool, and shred the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and strain the stock, reserving about 700ml / 1¼ pint of the clear liquid.
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3–4 minutes until it becomes light blonde in color.
- Prepare the filling: Gradually whisk the reserved stock into the roux, ensuring no lumps form. Bring to a simmer, then add the crème fraîche, mustard, parsley, yeast extract, spring onions, and shredded chicken. Mix well and season to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Roll out the pastry: On a floured surface, roll the chilled pastry to 5–6mm / ¼in thick and cut a round 2cm / 1in larger than your 26cm / 10½in pie dish. Chill the pastry round on a tray for 20 minutes.
- Assemble the pie: Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / Gas 6 / 400F. Spoon the filling into the pie dish. Drape the chilled pastry over the top, tuck the edges into the dish, and pinch around the edges to seal.
- Add finishing touches: Brush the pastry with beaten egg and cut a small steam hole in the center.
- Bake the pie: Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
- Serve: Slice and serve hot with wilted greens.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the butter cold for the pastry: Use cold butter straight from the fridge to get a flaky buttery pastry. Warm butter can make the dough greasy and hard to work with.
- Chill the dough properly: Let the pastry chill for at least 2 hours. This helps it firm up, making it easier to roll and preventing shrinkage during baking.
- Don’t skip straining the stock: Straining the chicken stock ensures the sauce is smooth and free from any vegetable or herb bits, making the filling extra creamy.
- Cool the filling before assembling: If the filling is too hot, it can melt the pastry and affect the pie’s texture. Let it cool to room temperature before adding it to the dish.
- Create a good seal with the pastry: Tuck the edges of the pastry firmly into the dish and pinch them well to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover Crème Fraîche Chicken Pie cool to room temperature. Cover it tightly with cling film or place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Allow the pie to cool completely, then wrap it well in foil or plastic wrap, followed by a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cover the pie loosely with foil to prevent the pastry from burning, and bake for 20–25 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 pie (234g)
- Calories: 477
- Total Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
- Sodium: 920mg
- Potassium: 257mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 45g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 5g
- Protein: 12g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Marinade
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Jalfrezi
- Jamie Oliver Chicken In White Wine And Mushroom Sauce
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Basque
Jamie Oliver Crème Fraîche Chicken Pie
Description
This delicious Jamie Oliver Crème Fraîche Chicken Pie is a comforting and creamy dish, perfect for a cozy family meal. Featuring tender chicken, a rich mustard-infused sauce, and buttery homemade pastry, it’s both hearty and satisfying. This flexible recipe uses simple ingredients and pairs beautifully with wilted greens for an easy, wholesome dinner.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
For the chicken filling:
To serve:
Instructions
- Make the pastry: Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl or mixer. Add the cold butter and mix until it forms breadcrumbs. Gradually add the ice-cold water and mix quickly to form a dough.
- Chill the dough: Tip the dough onto baking paper, bring it together, wrap it in cling film, and flatten it into a disc. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Prepare the chicken stock: Place the carrot, celery, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, parsley stalks, chicken thighs, and 1L / 1¾ pint water in a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the chicken: Skim any white scum from the surface and simmer for 30–40 minutes until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken, cool, and shred the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and strain the stock, reserving about 700ml / 1¼ pint of the clear liquid.
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3–4 minutes until it becomes light blonde in color.
- Prepare the filling: Gradually whisk the reserved stock into the roux, ensuring no lumps form. Bring to a simmer, then add the crème fraîche, mustard, parsley, yeast extract, spring onions, and shredded chicken. Mix well and season to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Roll out the pastry: On a floured surface, roll the chilled pastry to 5–6mm / ¼in thick and cut a round 2cm / 1in larger than your 26cm / 10½in pie dish. Chill the pastry round on a tray for 20 minutes.
- Assemble the pie: Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / Gas 6 / 400F. Spoon the filling into the pie dish. Drape the chilled pastry over the top, tuck the edges into the dish, and pinch around the edges to seal.
- Add finishing touches: Brush the pastry with beaten egg and cut a small steam hole in the center.
- Bake the pie: Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
- Serve: Slice and serve hot with wilted greens.
Notes
- Keep the butter cold for the pastry: Use cold butter straight from the fridge to get a flaky buttery pastry. Warm butter can make the dough greasy and hard to work with.
- Chill the dough properly: Let the pastry chill for at least 2 hours. This helps it firm up, making it easier to roll and preventing shrinkage during baking.
- Don’t skip straining the stock: Straining the chicken stock ensures the sauce is smooth and free from any vegetable or herb bits, making the filling extra creamy.
- Cool the filling before assembling: If the filling is too hot, it can melt the pastry and affect the pie’s texture. Let it cool to room temperature before adding it to the dish.
- Create a good seal with the pastry: Tuck the edges of the pastry firmly into the dish and pinch them well to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
Jamie Oliver Crème Fraîche Chicken Pie