Left Over Roast Chicken Pie made with vegetable oil pastry

If you're not sure what to do with Sunday's left over roast chicken, this pie is a delicious mid-week meal. The next time you feel the need for a roast, it's worth buying an extra large size, so you can make pie with the leftovers. On this occasion we were running short of butter; I couldn't be bothered running to the supermarket, so for a change I made the pastry using just vegetable oil. The oil makes the pastry very short and crunchy. It's hard to handle, but worth the effort if your looking for a lower cholesterol vegetable fat option.

Left Over Roast Chicken Pie, made with vegetable oil pastry

The left over meat from half a large roast chicken
1 red pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 red onion
2 tablespoons flour
4 rashers bacon or a few slices of pancetta
left over chicken gravy, topped up with water or stock to make 2 cups of liquid
salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable Oil Pastry

290g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon oil
sufficient water to stick the dough together and form it into a ball
a beaten egg to glaze

First make the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a large bowl. Pour in the oil and mix together using your fingertips. Pour in the lemon juice and a splash of water. Use your hands to work the dough into a ball. Add more water if required, and briefly knead together. Chill for half an hour while making the filling. 

Preheat the oven to 200deg. C

To make the filling: 
Pull the left over meat from the bones and roughly chop it into chunks. 

Slice up the red pepper and set both aside in a bowl. 

Finely slice the onion and cut the bacon or pancetta into lardons. 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and bacon until the bacon starts to crisp and the onion has softened. 

Add the 2 tablespoons of flour and stir until it starts to froth. 

Take from the heat and add about a third of the gravy mixture. Stir until a smooth paste is formed, return to the heat and stir constantly until it starts to bubble, add another third of the liquid and repeat the process. Finally add the last portion of gravy and continue to stir constantly to avoid any lumps forming. 





If you do have some lumps, swap the spoon for a whisk and beat the sauce vigorously to break them up. Allow the sauce to boil for a few minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as required. 

Add the chicken and red pepper to the sauce and bring back to the boil. 

Place the filling into a large oven proof dish. Set aside to cool a little while you roll out the pastry.

The pastry is quite brittle to work with; lay it between a sheet of baking paper and a layer of plastic wrap, and roll out to about a 4mm thickness. 

Peel off the top layer of plastic and using the remaining layer of wrap, lift the pastry onto the pie. Trim around the edges. 

Cut a few leaves from the pastry scraps and decorate the pie top. 

Brush with the beaten egg to glaze and bake until the pastry is golden brown and crispy, and the pie filling is bubbling. 

This pie is fine served on its own for a quick supper or with some mashed potato and a few steamed vegetables.