The Ultimate Chicken Pie

Spatchcock the chicken by flipping it breast-side down and cutting along both sides of the backbone with sharp scissors to remove it.

Flip the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Place it on a roasting tray with the removed backbone.

Season the chicken generously with oil and salt.

Roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for about 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

Once roasted and rested, pour off all the rendered chicken fat from the tray into a bowl and reserve it for later.

Carve the chicken, separating the breasts and legs. Remove all the meat from the bones and dice it into bite-sized chunks. Set the meat aside.

Break up the chicken carcass and all the bones, spread them on the roasting tray, and return to the oven at 200°C (400°F) for another 15-20 minutes until deeply roasted.

In a large pan on low heat, melt a couple of knobs of butter with a touch of oil. Finely slice shallots and add them to the pan to sweat.

Once the shallots have softened, add a crushed garlic clove, rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf. Sauté for a minute.

Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce by at least half.

Add the chicken stock and the re-roasted chicken bones to the pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, which will take about 30-35 minutes.

Add double cream to the reduced stock, bring it back to a simmer, and let it reduce to a coating consistency.

Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pan, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid.

Create a 'beurre manié' by mixing equal parts reserved chicken fat and plain flour into a paste.

Whisk spoonfuls of the beurre manié into the sauce on low heat until it thickens to the desired consistency.

Season the sauce with Dijon mustard, Marmite, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and salt to taste.

While the sauce reduces, prepare the garnish. Dice the smoked bacon, quarter the mushrooms, and chop more shallots.

In a separate pan, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan.

In the same pan with the bacon and some reserved chicken fat, sauté the shallots until they get some color, then add the mushrooms and cook until golden.

Finely chop the fresh parsley and tarragon.

Combine the thickened sauce with the cooked garnish (bacon, mushrooms, shallots), the diced chicken meat, and the chopped fresh herbs. Mix everything together.

Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover with a cartouche (baking paper lid) to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the fridge.

On a floured surface, roll out a block of puff pastry to about 3mm thick, large enough to line your 9-inch pie dish.

Carefully line the pie dish with the pastry, pressing it into the corners. Trim the excess pastry around the rim.

Fill the chilled pastry case with the cooled chicken filling.

Brush the rim of the pastry with egg wash. Place the pastry lid on top.

Press the lid and base together firmly, then trim the excess. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal.

Brush the entire top of the pie generously with egg wash, make a couple of small slits in the center for steam to escape, and sprinkle with crunchy sea salt.

Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for a further 30 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp.

Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before removing it from the tin, slicing, and serving.