Christmas Eve Chicken & Ham Pie

Serves	4 to 6
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	50 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 10 minutes
Allergy	Milk, Wheat
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region	British
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

A delectable and hearty pie which is perfect for a cosy Christmas Eve fireside supper, especially when served with a glass of chilled Provence Rosé wine.

Ingredients

40g salted butter
480g Chicken Breast Fillets (chopped into small pieces)
1 large onion (peeled and cut into small dice)
4 fresh thyme leaves (finely chopped)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
350g cooked smoked ham or gammon (cut into chunky dice)
120ml creme fraiche
1 large rectangular sheet of ready rolled puff pastry (I used Jus-Rol, or home-made puff pastry)
1 free-range egg Egg (beaten with a little milk for the glaze)

Note

A delectable and hearty pie which is perfect for a cosy Christmas Eve fireside supper, especially when served with a glass of chilled Provence Rosé wine.

Directions

Step 1	Preheat oven to 200C (180C for fan assisted ovens)/400F/Gas mark 6. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat through.
Step 2	Melt the butter in a large frying pan or a wok and then add the chicken pieces, cook them over a medium heat until they are seared and light golden brown. Take them out and set to one side.
Step 3	Add the onions to the pan, and fry them in the buttery chicken juices, adding a little more butter if necessary. Fry until the onions are soft, then season the mixture with the chopped thyme salt and pepper and set to one side.
Step 4	In a large bowl, mix the cooked chicken, onions and ham together, then add the creme fraiche and mix well again. You should have a stiff but spoonable mixture, add a little more creme fraiche if it is too stiff.
Step 5	Spoon the pie mixture into an oblong enamel pie tin, and place the pastry sheet over the top, and crimp the edges, and decorate the pie with any left over pastry, before glazing it with the egg and milk mixture.
Step 6	Place the pie dish on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. (If the pastry is browning too quickly, place a piece of tin foil over the top of the pie, removing it just a few minutes before the end of the baking time)
Step 7	Serve the pie warm with seasonal vegetables, preferably with a glass of wine, next to a roaring log fire on Christmas Eve!