Talia Moore’s Chicken + Vegetable Hand Pies
The Green Spoon•Apr 3, 2025
“Making pastry dough is one of the simplest, most worthwhile tricks to have on hand in the kitchen. It is incredible how a little flour, fat and ice water can transform the simplest ingredients into an impressive, restaurant-worthy meal! When I’m making hand pies I use the humble chicken thigh and whatever vegetables have been languishing in my fridge the longest. And when your hand pies are done, serve them the Aussie way: with a big dollop of tomato sauce (ketchup) on the side. A match made in pastry heaven! Just for fun, I have used a cheddar shortcrust pastry for this recipe, because that’s the kind of mood I am in. But a basic shortcrust pastry will do absolutely perfectly here too.” — Talia Moore
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We’re Fanny and Greta, dear friends with deep backgrounds in sustainable food. This is a space for the food lovers, home cooks, would-be home cooks and anyone who needs a bit of inspiration and gentle guidance in their family kitchen.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Make the pastry
Combine the flour (2 ½ cups), cheese (1 cup) and salt (1 pinch) in a large bowl. Rub the butter (7 oz) into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of breadcrumbs.
Drizzle in the ice water (¼–½), one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. Don't overwork it at this point.
Cut the dough into 4 and flatten into squares. Tightly wrap each individually in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Onto the filling!
Poach the chicken: in a medium sized saucepan add the chicken (2 lb), milk (20 fl oz), peppercorns (4) and 2 sprigs of thyme. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and poach gently for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
If the meat isn't totally submerged, turn the chicken over half way
With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl and allow to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and shred or chop the chicken into small pieces. Strain the milk left in the saucepan and reserve for later (you will want about 13 ½ fluid ounces, so you may need to top up with additional milk).
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter (2 Tbsp) and olive oil (2 Tbsp). Add the onion (2), carrot (1 large), celery (1 large stalk), garlic (4 cloves), remaining fresh herbs, a good pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Cook for 7–10 minutes until softened and starting to brown around the edges.
The key is not to have your heat too high otherwise the garlic will burn
Stir in the mustard (1 tsp) and then flour (1 Tbsp). Mix well.
Pour in the reserved milk (you need about 13 ½ fluid ounces). Simmer the milk for 3–5 minutes until it has thickened. Mix in the reserved chicken and season to taste.
Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to sit for 10 minutes to soften. Line a baking tray (or two) with baking paper.
On a floured surface, remove one square of dough from the wrap and cut it in half. Roll each piece into a circle approximately 12 inches round and 3–4 mm thick. You can keep it in a circle shape, or trim into rectangles approximately 10 inches x 5 inches. You should have 2 pieces (one hand pie).
Spoon ¼ cup worth of filling into the center of the pastry, leaving a 1½–2 inch border all the way around. Don't overfill or the pastry will tear.
Brush the egg wash around the border and then drape the second piece of pastry over the top. Create a seal around the filling by pressing the heel of your hands along the outline of the filling. Trim any excess. Then use a fork to press a border around the edge of the pastry or crimp by pinching the edges to seal.
Poke a hole in the top of the pie with a small pairing knife, so steam can escape, then brush the egg wash all over the top of the pie. Repeat with the remaining dough. Leave enough space between hand pies in case there is any leakage.
Pop the pies in the oven and bake for 45–55 minutes until golden and cooked through. Allow to cool, then add a generous dollop of tomato sauce (ketchup) on the side and dig in to a heavenly, buttery, delicious freshly made hand pie!
