You can’t go wrong with a classic chicken pie, and we’re making sure it’s extra delicious by teaching you to make a classic white sauce (or a roux) from scratch!

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 30 min

INGREDIENTS
For the roux
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
½ tsp mustard
1½ cups milk
For the chicken pie
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, grated
1 garlic clove, grated
4 chicken breasts
2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
4 tbsp mayonnaise
40 sheets ready-made samoosa pastry
⅓ cup melted butter

METHOD
For the roux
1. Melt the butter in a pot. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour and mustard.
2. Return to low heat. Gradually add the milk while whisking. Cook for about 6 minutes, until the roux thickens.
For the chicken pie
1. Heat the oil, and fry the onion and garlic until golden.
2. Add the chicken, stock, bay leaf and cloves. Boil for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred using s fork.
4. Strain the cooking liquid and cook until reduced. Add the roux, pulled chicken, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
5. Preheat oven to 180°C.
6. Arrange 20 sheets of pastry diagonally across the base and up the sides of a baking tin.
7. Gently spoon in the filling.
8. Cut the remaining pastry sheets in half, lengthways. Use them to make a lattice design on top of the pie. Trim the edges.
9. Brush with melted butter and bake for 15 minutes. Turn up the heat to 200°C and bake for

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen//HMimages.co.za