Coronation chicken & cauliflower puff pie

Name: Coronation chicken & cauliflower puff pie
Prep time: 1 h 50 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 large chicken; 5 medium-large carrots, peeled; 5 sticks celery; 1 tomato, halved; 6 cloves garlic, flattened; 6 cm piece ginger, cut into 6 pieces; 1 cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets; 25 g butter; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 tbsp essential Waitrose Tomato Puree; 2 tbsp mild curry powder; 200 ml pot crème fraîche; 300 ml pot double cream; 100 g Geeta’s Premium Mango Chutney; 40 g flaked almonds; 1 British Blacktail Free Range Medium Egg, beaten; 320 g all butter puff pastry sheet; 1 tbsp nigella seeds; Buttery mash, to serve (optional); Peas, to serve (optional)

You could use leftover turkey for Ed Smith's recipe here, but meat from a chicken poached specifically for this recipe leads to the most succulent result. The spicing is mild, sweet and moreish, and should neatly punctuate the festive period.

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Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare1 hr 50 mins
Cook30 mins
Total time2 hrs 20 mins
Pluscooling and chilling

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1 large chicken
5 medium-large carrots, peeled
5 sticks celery
1 tomato, halved
6 cloves garlic, flattened
6 cm piece ginger, cut into 6 pieces
1 cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
25g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp essential Waitrose Tomato Puree
2 tbsp mild curry powder
200ml pot crème fraîche
300ml pot double cream
100g Geeta’s Premium Mango Chutney
40g flaked almonds
1 British Blacktail Free Range Medium Egg, beaten
320g all butter puff pastry sheet
1 tbsp nigella seeds
Buttery mash, to serve (optional)
Peas, to serve (optional)

Put the chicken into a large saucepan or stock pot and cover with cold water. Roughly chop 1 carrot and 4 celery sticks and add to the pot with the tomato, garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil, covered, then simmer gently for 1 hour.
Remove from the heat, keep the lid on and leave to rest for 45 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through with no pink meat and juices that run clear. Strip the meat from the carcass and set aside. Reserve the stock.
While the chicken rests, blanch the cauliflower for 1 minute 30 seconds-2 minutes in salted boiling water, then drain and chill under cold running water.
Finely dice the remaining carrots and celery and, in a large saucepan or casserole, gently sauté in the butter with the onion and a pinch of salt for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and sweet without colouring.
Stir in the tomato purée and curry powder and cook for 2 minutes more, then add the crème fraîche, double cream and a ladleful of stock. Add the chicken, cauliflower, mango chutney and almonds, then carefully fold into the sauce.
Transfer the filling to a low-sided roasting tin or gratin dish in which the mix fits when densely packed (approx 2L, 20x30x4cm) and allow to cool. Brush the edge of the dish with a little beaten egg, then cover with the pastry sheet, crimping the edges with a fork. Brush the pastry with a little beaten egg and chill for 30 minutes, or up to 1 day ahead.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Brush the pastry with more egg, sprinkle with nigella seeds, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the filling bubbles out. Serve with buttery mashed potato and peas, if liked.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe