Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has unveiled a remarkably simple method for creating a comforting chicken pie at home, promising to transform a casual family staple into something special in under half an hour. The recipe, perfect for the subdued January weather when many prefer staying indoors, demystifies the often-daunting process of making both filling and pastry from scratch.
The Chef's Time-Saving Secret
In a revelation that will reassure home cooks everywhere, Ramsay confirms that even top chefs don't always make their own pastry. The key to his speedy method, detailed in his cookbook 'Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course', is a clever twist: cooking the pastry lids separately from the filling. This approach drastically cuts down the overall preparation and cooking time.
"I've always loved serving individual pies," Ramsay explained. "It instantly elevates a casual family dish into something a bit smarter, but without really increasing the work. The twist here is that the lids are cooked separately from the pie filling." This separate cooking process is the cornerstone of the recipe's efficiency, allowing both components to be prepared simultaneously.
How to Make the 28-Minute Chicken Pie
The recipe is designed to serve two to three people and requires a specific set of ingredients for its rich flavour. You will need: 250g of cooked chicken, 50g of chopped pancetta, one tablespoon of olive oil, one trimmed and sliced leek, 200g of peeled and cut celeriac, 200g of peeled and cut butternut squash, 50ml of dry sherry, 200ml of chicken stock, 100ml of crème fraîche, 200g of puff pastry, plain flour, one egg yolk, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs.
The method begins by frying the pancetta until golden, then setting it aside. The olive oil and vegetables—leek, celeriac, and butternut squash—are then cooked with thyme, salt, and pepper until tender. Sherry is added and simmered, followed by the return of the pancetta and the addition of chicken stock. The mixture is reduced by half before stirring in the crème fraîche.
Mastering the Pastry Lid
While the filling simmers, the oven is heated to 200°C (Gas Mark 6). The shop-bought puff pastry is rolled out to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut into circles using a small plate as a guide. Ramsay advises that for larger groups, you should "simply double the quantities of the filling, but the amount of pastry required depends on the size of your dishes."
The pastry circles are scored with a diamond pattern, brushed with an egg yolk wash, and baked for roughly 10 minutes until golden. In the final step, the cooked chicken is stirred into the warm filling mixture, which is then divided into bowls and topped with the freshly baked pastry lid.
A Game-Changer for Home Cooking
This method represents a significant simplification of a classic comfort food dish. The brilliance of Ramsay's recipe lies in its pragmatic use of ready-made pastry and its efficient, parallel preparation steps. The result is a homemade, impressive-looking meal that can be prepared in virtually no time, making it an ideal solution for a straightforward yet scrumptious evening meal during the long winter nights. It proves that with a smart technique, gourmet-style individual pies are well within reach of any home cook.
