You can serve this pie hot, straight out of the oven (no need for steps 9 and 10), but the method below is more akin to a pork pie, served chilled or at room temperature.
This pork-pie style pie is made with ham, chicken and pistachios and is freezable, so you always have a delicious meal to hand.
Cooking notes: plus cooling and (overnight) chilling
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Yields:
12 serving(s)
Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 15 mins
Cal/Serv:
454
Ingredients
For the pastry
Vegetable oil, to grease
700g
plain flour, plus extra to dust
115g
lard, cut into cubes
115g
butter, cut into cubes
1
egg, beaten
For the filling
1Tbsp.
vegetable oil
1
onion, finely chopped
650g
skinless chicken thigh fillets
60g
pistachio kernels, roughly chopped
2Tbsp.
fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
175g
pulled ham, see GH Tips
1Tbsp.
wholegrain mustard
For the jelly
200ml
chicken stock
11/2
sheets platinum grade leaf gelatine, we used Dr. Oetker
Directions
Step 1Grease a 20.5cm round springform tin and put on to a large baking tray. To make the pastry, put the flour and 1tsp fine salt into a food processor. Next melt the lard, butter and 250ml water in a small pan over low heat. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil.
Step 2With the motor running on the processor, add the hot lard mixture and whizz until the pastry nearly comes together. Tip on to a work surface and knead until smooth.
Step 3Break off 2/3 of the pastry (wrap remaining 1/3), roll out and use to line the greased tin, pressing well into the edges and leaving some pastry hanging over the sides (don’t worry if it breaks, just work it back into place, it won’t make the pastry tough). Chill for 10min.
Step 4Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. To make the filling, heat the oil in a small frying pan over low heat and cook the onion for 5min, until softened. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool for a few min.
Step 5Meanwhile, pulse the chicken in a food processor until it resembles mince. Empty into the onion bowl along with the pistachios, thyme, 1tsp fine salt and 1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ham and mustard.
Step 6Press 1/2 the chicken mixture into the pastry-lined tin. Top with the ham in an even layer, then press on the remaining chicken mixture.
Step 7Roll out remaining pastry until large enough to cover the filling. Lift on to the tin and press edges to seal. Trim excess then crimp the edges, making sure the crimping sits inside the tin or the pie will be hard to remove. Brush the top pastry with beaten egg (set egg aside). Poke a hole in the centre of the lid with the handle of a wooden spoon.
Step 8Cook for 40min, then carefully unclip and remove the outside ring of the tin (leaving the pie on its base on the baking tray). Brush all over with egg and return to the oven for 35-40min to set the sides and cook through. Take out of oven and set aside to cool slightly for 10min.
Step 9For the jelly, pour the stock into a pan and add the gelatine. Leave to soak (off heat) for 5min. Heat gently, until the gelatine dissolves. Empty into a jug. Using a funnel, or with a steady hand, pour a little stock into the hole. Keep adding stock until the pie will take no more (you may not need it all). Leave the pie to cool for 30min, then chill overnight.
Step 10Allow to come up to room temperature before serving in slices (or serve chilled, if you prefer).
Freeze ahead:
Prepare to end of step 9 and freeze cooked pie whole, or in slices, well-wrapped for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost in the fridge and serve chilled or allow to come to room temperature.
GH tips:
• If you can’t find pulled ham, buy thick-cut slices and finely slice it in short lengths.
• Filling with the jellied stock mixture isn’t essential, but there’ll be a gap between the meat filling and the pastry if you don’t.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
