1.5kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs, at room temperature
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
1tsp butter
3 carrots, diced
2 red onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 shallots, trimmed and sliced
30g tarragon, finely chopped, plus extra to sprinkle (optional)
30g parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to sprinkle (optional)
750ml chicken broth or stock
300ml double cream
1tbsp arrowroot or brown rice flour
130g frozen peas
Method
Put the potatoes in a large pan
of salted water and bring to the
boil. Cook until tender but still
holding their shape, then drain.
Put in the fridge to cool while
you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 180C/
160C F/Gas 4. Season the
chicken thighs.
Heat the olive oil in a large
frying pan over a high heat.
Add the chicken to the pan
and cook for 2–3 minutes on
each side to lightly brown and
seal. Transfer to a plate and set
aside to cool.
Reduce the heat to medium.
To the same pan, add the
butter, carrots, onions, garlic
and shallots, then sauté for
5–6 minutes, stirring often,
adding a little more olive oil
if you think it’s going to catch.
Add the herbs and stir
through before adding the
broth or stock and bringing to a strong simmer. Add the cream
and bring back to a simmer,
then add the arrowroot or
brown rice flour and lightly
whisk until the mixture thickens.
Chop the chicken into
generous chunks and stir them
through the sauce. Add the
peas and stir for 5 minutes, then
season and remove from the
heat. Transfer the mixture to a 25-30cm diameter pie dish.
Cut the potatoes into 5mm
slices and layer over the top of
the pie mixture. Season, sprinkle
with the extra herbs, if using,
and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the potato
has browned. Remove from the
heat, season to taste and serve.
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN FROM THE GOOD FARM COOKBOOK BY SCOTT GOODING & MATILDA BROWN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATH MUSCAT (MURDOCH BOOKS, £20).
