A proper, homemade raised pie is magnificent, but often thought of as quite fiddly. This chicken, gammon and black pudding recipe takes the stress out of it and makes the whole experience a much more enjoyable affair. 

There aren’t many things better than a big wedge of meaty pie with a generous spoonful of piccalilli or chutney. This also makes a fantastic centrepiece of any festive buffet and certainly takes the beige away.

Temperatures

Bake until your Thermapen pushed into a steam hole reads 74°C.

Ingredients

You will need: 1.5 litre terrine (28cm x 13cm), Thermapen thermometer and a funnel to pour the jelly

For the filling

• 500g free-range skinless chicken breasts, cut into approximately 2 cm dice
• 250g unsmoked gammon, excess fat trimmed, cut into approximately 2cm dice
• 250g black pudding, cut into approximately 2cm dice
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp of each sea salt and black pepper
• 1 free-range egg, beaten, for glazing

For the hot water crust

• 500g plain flour
• 1 free-range egg
• 80g unsalted butter
• 80g lard
• 1 tsp fine salt

For the jelly

• 400ml light chicken stock
• 8 pink peppercorns
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 gelatine leaves
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions

• Firstly, butter your terrine mould well and then line the base with a strip of folded foil, leaving the ends overhanging the short edges of the terrine. This will help you get the terrine out.

• In a mixing bowl, combine all the diced meat, herbs, garlic, lemon zest and seasoning. Set aside.
• For the pastry, put the flour and salt into a heatproof bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg, then fold in the flour. Put the butter and lard in a pan with 200ml water and bring to the boil. Pour onto the flour, mixing well with a fork to combine. When cool enough to handle, knead the pastry on a floured work surface until smooth. Shape into a disc, cover loosely, then leave for 20-30 minutes until lukewarm.
• Set aside around a third of the pastry, wrapped in cling film, for the lid. Roll out the rest on a floured work surface to about 40cm x 25cm x 0.5cm thick. Use this to line the terrine, pressing well into the corners and leaving a little overhang all round. Make sure none of the pastry corners are too thin or it will crack. Chill in the fridge, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190°C / fan 170°C. Once the pastry has hardened, fill it with the meat mixture, pressing down firmly.
• Take reserved pastry and roll out to just larger than the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the filled pie with beaten egg, then lay the lid over, squeezing the edges together to seal. Using a sharp knife, trim any overhang to make a neat edge.
• Crimp the pastry rim if you like, then cut 3 steam holes, about 2cm in diameter – one in the centre and one at each end. Brush the top with more egg, then put in the oven in a roasting tin for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 170°C / fan 150°C. Bake until your Thermapen pushed into a steam hole reads 74°C. This should take around 1 hour 15-20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and tip the pie up carefully until almost vertical, so the juices run out of the lowest steam hole into the roasting tin. Repeat from the other end. Once you’ve poured off nearly all the juices and discarded them, leave the pie to cool. Chill overnight, uncovered.

The next day...

• Make the jelly. Bring the stock, peppercorns, garlic and herbs to a simmer, take off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes, then strain. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft. Squeeze them out and add to the warm strained stock, stirring to dissolve. When the gelatine has dissolved, leave to cool until it reaches room temperature, then stir in the chopped parsley.
• Using the foil strip, carefully lift the pie from the terrine and onto a cutting board. If it won’t come out easily, put it in a roasting tin of freshly boiled water for a few seconds, then try again. Once out, clean out the steam holes with a small knife. Slowly pour the stock into each steam hole using a funnel (you may not use it all).
• Chill the pie for at least 2 hours to set the jelly. To serve, bring it to room temperature, then slice. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Kenny Tutt

Masterchef Champion 2018

"Thermapens are crucial to my cooking both at home and at my restaurant, so I'm delighted to be working on some new recipes to showcase what they can really do."