roast chicken and asparagus pie

The light is now good for photos and the weather has warmed up so I'm back on the blog again. There are vegetables in the garden and a few flowers are springing up. Thanks to the silver jubilee, there is bunting flapping about in the hedge, frightening the blackbirds.
The link - 4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie! Although I'm sure blackbird would be equally as good, this delicious pasty is made from the leftovers of 2 chickens (mostly leg meat). The asparagus came from a caravan in a lay-by. There seems to be a fleet of these vans parked around North Norfolk, possibly all owned by the same farm, serviced by Eastern European girls.

ingredients:

• left over roast chicken (diced)
• handful of asparagus
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small red onion
• splash of cream
• milk
• splash of white wine
• butter
• table spoon of plain flour
• salt and pepper
• 1 slab of ready to roll puff pastry (500g?)
• 1 egg yolk
• fresh thyme

1. trim the asparagus and steam it in a glug of wine with a knob of butter and a bit of water. I gave it about 10 minutes (retain the liquor).
2. melt a largish knob of butter and soften the onion, finely chopped, and the chopped garlic.
3. add the flour to the onion pan and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes.
4. add the liquor from the asparagus and stir. Gradually add milk and cream to loosen the sauce until it is a good consistency to bind the filling.
5. add the chicken to the sauce and warm through.
6. add the asparagus and fold gently into the mixture.
7. sprinkle some finely chopped thyme leaves - go easy because they can over power the more delicate flavours.
8. roll the pastry into a large square. Butter a baking tray and lay the pastry on it.
9. pile up the filling after brushing milk about an inch wide around the perimeter (I'm a maths teacher!) of the pastry.
10. fold the pastry over the top and crimp down with a fork, forming a seal.
11. prick some holes in the top and brush with the beaten egg yolk.
12. cook in a medium oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Oldest boy loved it, youngest boy hated it and the middle one had a fried egg instead! Strawberries (£2.50 from Olga) and ice-cream afterwards.