Chicken Pie Soup

If you want pie, but you want something lighter (and for one), then this is the recipe for you.

5 prep

45 minutes cook

Serves 2

Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

500ml chicken stock

1 carrot

1 celery stick

1 shallot

2 sprigsthyme

2bay leaves

6 or sopeppercorns

1 tbspflaked sea salt

6chicken thighs

2 clovesgarlic

2 leeks, chopped into rounds

2 tbspcreme fraiche

1 tspdijon mustard

a handfulfinely chopped herbs

1 sheetpuff pastry

It takes inspiration from the classic Jewish chicken soup and of course the iconic chicken and leek pie. It's packed full of delicious bits and uses pastry as a dipper/scooper/soaker to fully appreciate all the tasty sauce.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a large saucepan heat the chicken stock gently with the vegetables, (except the leek) and the chicken. pepper and salt. When the thighs are cooked through remove the vegetables and the aromatics.

Turn the heat up and reduce the stock to around 300ml, then reduce to the merest simmer and add the creme fraiche and mustard. Check the seasoning.

While this is happening, use a plate to cut out 2 disks of puff pastry and bake them on a lined baking sheet until golden, puffed through and solid feeling - roughly 20 minutes.

Stir the herbs through the soup and divide into two separate bowls. Top with the puff pastry lids, or serve them alongside your pie/soup hybrid.