Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 bay leaves
8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 yellow onions diced
2 carrots diced
10oz frozen peas
1/2 cup all purpose flour
5 Tbsp butter
1-2 Tbsp oil
3/4 cups cubed ham
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 package frozen puff pastry
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Chicken Prep
For the chicken, you can use a store bought rotisserie chicken, but roasting your own isn’t difficult and gives better results
1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Spatchcock the whole chicken (cut it’s spine out with shears and them open it up, breast side up on a baking sheet with a wire rack or roasting pan)
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, do not skip, the dryer the skin is before it goes in the crispier the crackling will be
4. Lightly coat chicken all over with olive oil and season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
5. Roast chicken for 30-45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165.
6. Let chicken rest after roasting for 15-20 mins, then remove the skin and finely chop or put in food processor to get a crumb-like consistency
7. Remove meat from bones and shred, then set aside
Stock Prep
1. Put 2 cups of chicken stock in a pot and heat until gently boiling
2. Turn off heat
3. Add in mushrooms and bay leaves
4. Cover and let steep for 15-20 mins
5. Remove and discard bay leaves
6. Remove mushrooms with a strainer and squeeze out excess liquid back into the pot
7. Finely chop mushrooms and set aside
8. Leave stock in pot
Filling
1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat
2. Add in oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan
3. Add in ham and fry until brown and crispy
4. Remove ham and set aside
5. Reduce heat to medium
6. Add in butter and melt
7. Add in onion, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, stir frequently and cook until onions become translucent
8. Add in flour and cook while stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes
9. Add in milk, cream, and stock, and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then season with salt and pepper to taste
10. Once thickened, add in peas, chicken skins, ham, and shredded chicken, and stir until well combined, check for adequate salt and pepper again
Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Place filling in 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet or other oven safe shallow pan
3. Thaw puff pastry according to directions then lightly roll it out on a dusted counter top until it is large enough to cover the pan
4. Place pastry on pan and trip to fit
5. Crimp edges of pastry down to pan with a fork and slice an X in the middle of the pastry
6. Brush with heavy cream
7. Bake at 400 for 20 mins then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 20 mins
8. Remove from oven when pastry is golden brown and allow to rest for at least 10 mins