This chicken and red pepper pie is a full double-crust bake, so the filling and pastry need separate attention before they meet. The gravy must be thick, the chicken fully cooked, and the pastry kept cool during assembly. Allow the complete 135-minute window, including twenty minutes for the filling to stop steaming and fifteen minutes for the baked pie to rest. It yields six wedges.
Chicken & red pepper shortcrust pie makes 6 servings, with 2 hr 15 min estimated total time. View the standalone recipe page.
Brown small chicken pieces without crowding
Cut the chicken into even two-centimeter pieces and pat them dry. Season with half the salt and pepper, then brown in two batches in the measured oil. The initial three minutes per batch creates some color; it is not the point at which you assume the chicken is fully cooked. Keep the browned pieces and their juices together for the sauce.
Prepare onion, red pepper, garlic and the other sauce ingredients before heating the skillet. Once the chicken leaves the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cook the onion and pepper for seven to eight minutes. Stir across any browned areas without scraping burnt material into the filling. Garlic and paprika should enter after the vegetables have softened.
Build a gravy that holds the filling together
Cook garlic, tomato paste and paprika for one minute, then stir in the flour for another minute. Add the 180 ml broth gradually while stirring, working out any dry flour patches before adding the next splash. This sequence disperses the thickener through the vegetables instead of dropping it into a pan of liquid as loose clumps.
Return the chicken and juices and simmer for six to ten minutes. The gravy should be thick enough to stay around the pieces rather than form a thin soup. Check several large pieces for 165°F/74°C with a thermometer before cooling the filling. Add the remaining seasoning; the oven stage does not replace this first chicken temperature check.
Cool the filling while the pastry stays chilled
Spread the cooked filling in a shallow dish for its twenty-minute cooling period, until it is no longer steaming. A deep bowl retains heat in the center. Meanwhile heat the oven to 400°F/200°C with the metal baking sheet on the lower-middle rack, and line the 23 cm metal pie dish with half the shortcrust.
Let the pastry fit into the dish rather than stretching it taut over the corners. Leave the small overhang needed for closing the rim. Keep both lined dish and lid dough chilled while the filling cools. Hot filling can soften the pastry before baking begins, while dough stretched during lining can pull back from the rim in the oven.
Seal, vent and bake on the hot sheet
Fill the case evenly, brush the rim lightly with egg wash and place the lid over it. Trim and crimp the edges so the two layers connect all the way around. Cut three steam vents and brush the top with egg wash without flooding the rim. Discard the leftover raw egg wash once brushing is finished.
Place the pie on the preheated sheet and bake for forty to forty-five minutes. The pastry needs to be deep golden and cooked through, and the center filling must reach 165°F/74°C. Probe through a vent without touching the dish. If the edges color too quickly, protect them loosely with foil while the rest of the pie continues cooking.
Rest before cutting the six wedges
Wait fifteen minutes before slicing. The filling is easier to portion after this pause than when it is bubbling straight from the oven. Use a sharp knife to cut through the lid and base, then slide a broad server fully under each wedge. The first slice may need extra care because its neighboring pieces give it little room to move.
Divide the salad leaves into six small portions to accompany the wedges. They are the listed side, not part of the baked filling. If serving fewer people, portion leftovers into shallow containers for prompt refrigeration rather than leaving the whole dense pie out until cold. Keep fresh leaves separate from warm pastry and gravy.
Common questions
Does a brown pie lid mean the filling is ready?
No. Check the center filling for 165°F/74°C and make sure the pastry is cooked through. A fast-browning edge can be loosely shielded with foil while baking continues.
Can I put steaming filling straight into the crust?
Follow the twenty-minute shallow-dish cooling step until the filling is no longer steaming. Keep the pastry chilled during that interval so assembly does not begin with softened dough.
Technique & food-safety references
These primary references support the technique, safety and storage guidance. The recipe and cooking explanations are original Recipe Pinboard content.
