Mary Berry's tasty chicken and bacon pie recipe is perfect for a family meal

Pie with latticed pastry (Image: Getty)

With Mary Berry's chicken and bacon pie recipe, rest assured that family (and friends alike) will be enjoying every bite.

"This chicken and bacon pie would make a wonderful centrepiece for a family meal," said Mary Berry.

Taken from Mary Berry's Foolproof Cooking recipe book, you will need up to two hours for the tasty pie to be ready to eat.

Plus, the preparation for the pie can take anywhere between 30 minutes to one hour, so that also needs to be kept in mind.

Here's how to recreate Mary Berry's wholesome chicken and bacon pie that will taste wonderful.

Chopped celery adds flavour (Image: Getty)

Chicken and bacon pie

• Serves: six people

Ingredients

• Six skinless chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)
• Four celery sticks, diced
• Four bay leaves, roughly sliced
• 200ml dry white wine
• 300ml chicken stock
• 250g smoked back bacon (about seven rashers), cut into small pieces
• One large onion, roughly chopped
• 50g butter
• 60g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• Two tbsp full-fat crème fraîche
• One tbsp grainy mustard
• Two x 375g packets ready-rolled, all-butter puff pastry
• One egg, beaten
• Salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan/gas three). Put the chicken legs, celery and bay leaves into a large ovenproof saucepan, pour over the wine and stock, then season with salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil on a medium-high heat, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken legs are cooked and tender. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, remove the meat from the chicken bones. Break the meat into bite-sized pieces before transferring to a bowl.

Strain the stock, reserving the celery and discarding the bay leaves, and measure out the liquid. You should have about 750ml; if not, make up to this amount with a little extra stock or white wine.

Bacon adds more flavour (Image: Getty)

Heat a large frying pan and fry the bacon pieces on a medium-high heat for three minutes. Add the onion, cover with a lid and fry for a further 10 minutes until the onion is softened.

Add the butter, stir until melted, and then sprinkle in the flour to make a roux. Pour the reserved liquid into the roux a little at a time, whisking as you add, and stir over a high heat until thickened to a smooth sauce consistency.

Add a little salt and pepper, the reserved celery, crème fraiche and mustard and mix to combine before adding the chicken pieces.

Spoon the filling into the ovenproof dish and level the top. Leave until cool and then chill, covered, in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the pastry for the pie. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each of the pastry sheets to about 3mm thick.

Cut each piece into long, thick ribbons, about 3cm wide. You will need to make enough to cover the top of the dish, about 16 in total.

Weave the ribbons together on a piece of baking paper, until you have a pastry top that is large enough to cover your pie. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up or, if time allows, freeze until solid.

Take the filling out of the fridge and brush the edges of the dish with a little beaten egg. Carefully slide the pastry lattice from the baking paper and lay on top of the chilled filling. Trim the excess pastry around the rim and lightly press to seal.

Increase the oven temperature to 200C (180C fan/gas six). Brush the pastry with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through, and the chicken is bubbling. Serve hot.