Name: Chicken and tarragon with pastry topping
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 4 chicken breast fillets; 4 chicken thighs; 2 bay leaves; 1 onion peeled and quartered; 1/2 tsp black peppercorns; 4 Tbs butter; 4 leeks chopped; 2 Tbs flour; 2 cup cooking liquid strained; 1/2 cup wine white; 1 cup sour cream; 1 Tbs fresh tarragon chopped; 2 potatoes cooked, peeled and cubed; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1x 400 g puff pastry defrosted; 1 eggs whites only; 1 eggs yolks only, beaten with milk

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Ingredients (17)

4	chicken breast fillets
4	chicken — thighs
2	bay leaves
1	onion — peeled and quartered
1/2 tsp	black peppercorns
4 Tbs	butter
4	leeks — chopped
2 Tbs	flour
2 cup	cooking liquid — strained
1/2 cup	wine — white
1 cup	sour cream
1 Tbs	fresh tarragon — chopped
2	potatoes — cooked, peeled and cubed
	sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1x 400 g	puff pastry — defrosted
1	eggs — whites only
1	eggs — yolks only, beaten with milk

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Method:

Preheat oven to 220°C.

Place chicken in a deep pot and add bay leaves, onion and peppercorns. Cover chicken with water, about 3–4 cups. Poach chicken for half an hour, or until cooked through. Remove from pot, strain liquid and set aside.

Heat butter, add leeks and cook until translucent. Add flour and stir for 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining chicken liquid, add wine and cook until mixture thickens.

Shred cooled chicken, discarding the skin. Add shredded chicken to leek mixture, stir in sour cream, tarragon and potatoes. Season. Transfer to a baking dish of about 22cm.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and cut to the desired shape. Moisten the edges of the dish with egg white and place pastry over the dish. Trim edges and secure with the tines of a fork.

Make a small slit in the centre of the pastry. Decorate with leftover pastry and brush with the egg wash. Bake for 20–30 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

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