Comforting chicken, pea and pancetta pie with puff pastry and a creamy Dijon, wine and stock sauce, a beautiful alternative to a traditional Sunday roast.
There are days when only a pie will do. Not the prim, dinner-party sort, but a deep-dish beauty with a golden, uneven lid and a bubbling centre. This chicken, pea and pancetta pie began with chicken, a splash of cream, a handful of frozen peas and pancetta. I add sage because it feels right, and Dijon because it always is.
As it bakes, the kitchen takes on that warm, savoury hush. You check the crust once or twice, not because it needs it, but because it’s soothing to watch it brown.
Why This Chicken, Pea and Pancetta Pie Works
Pancetta brings salty depth and leaves just enough fat to flavour the base. Chicken thighs stay tender under pastry and don’t dry out. The sauce, wine, stock, double cream and Dijon, leans rich without turning heavy, while peas add sweetness and colour. Finally, fresh parsley at the end brightens everything.
Pro tip: the pastry must be cold and the filling cool. Warm filling melts butter before the oven can do its magic, and you lose the proper puff.
A Cosy Little Closing
This chicken, pea and pancetta pie is Sunday comfort without the full roast rigmarole. The lid shatters, the sauce sighs, and plates disappear into laps while the windows fog a little. It’s the kind of pie that turns a grey afternoon golden.
If you loved this, you might also fancy my Garlic Butter Roast Chicken with Lemon Cavolo Nero, or my Mushroom Gnocchi Soup for some real comfort food.
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Ingredients
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For The Filling
- For The Pie Lid
Instructions
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Brown the pancetta & chicken.
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry the pancetta until lightly golden and it renders some fat (3–4 mins). Scoop to a plate. Season the chicken lightly and brown in the pancetta fat in two batches (about 5–6 mins total). Add to the pancetta plate. Soften aromatics.
- Lower the heat, add the leek (or onion) to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook until silky (5 mins). Stir in the garlic for 1 minute. Make the base of the sauce.
- Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute to make a rough roux. Pour in the wine, stirring as it bubbles up and thickens. Gradually add the hot stock, stirring until smooth. Cream & Dijon.
- Stir in the double cream and 1 tsp Dijon. Return the chicken and pancetta (plus resting juices) to the pan. Add thyme if using. Simmer gently for 5–7 mins until the chicken is just cooked and the sauce is glossy and coats a spoon. Finish the filling.
- Stir through the peas and parsley. Taste and adjust with more Dijon, salt and pepper. The filling should be well-seasoned and on the thicker side (it will loosen slightly in the oven). Cool to room temp—lukewarm is fine. (Warm filling will melt the pastry.) Assemble.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Tip the cooled filling into the pie dish. Lay the pastry sheet over the top, letting it drape over the rim. Trim or tuck to fit, then crimp. Cut a small steam hole in the centre. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle a little flaky salt. (Use trimmings to make leaves if you fancy; egg-wash those too.) Bake.
- Bake 25–35 mins until the pastry is puffed and deep golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Rest 5–10 mins before serving.
Notes
Serve With Buttery mash or mustardy green salad, and something sharp (quick pickled cucumbers or lemon-dressed greens). Notes & Swaps Chicken: Thighs stay juicier, but breast works—reduce the simmer by a couple of minutes. No wine? Skip and add an extra 100ml stock plus 1 tsp white wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon at the end. Extra veg: Add sliced mushrooms (brown with the chicken) or diced carrots (soften with the leek). Herbs: Tarragon is lovely—use 1 tsp chopped, stirred in at the end. Make-ahead: Filling keeps 2 days in the fridge. Assemble and bake fresh. Freeze: Freeze cooled filling up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, assemble with fresh pastry, bake from cold (add 5–10 mins).
