Coq au Vin Pie

Coq au vin is a classic French dish which is chicken cooked in wine with bacon or lardons, mushrooms, onion, garlic and seasonings. It's smells wonderful while the chicken is simmering away and there is the added bonus of the shortcrust pastry on top that also smells buttery and alluringly good when baking. I like to make a big batch and then use the leftovers for the pie.

¼ cup olive oil (60 mL)
6 chicken thigh fillets, cut into pieces
2½ Tbsp. plain flour
2 bacon rashers, chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
button mushrooms, halved (150 g)
6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
2/3 cup chicken stock (165 mL)
1½ cups red wine (375 mL)
shortcrust pastry (445 g)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line the base of a (20 cm) springform pan.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a deep frypan over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook, turning, for 3-4 minutes until golden, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 1 Tbsp. oil and remaining chicken. Toss the chicken in the flour.

Wipe pan clean, then heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes or until slightly crisp. Add the carrot, onion, celery, mushroom and thyme, then cook for a further 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the stock and wine, then return the chicken to the pan with any remaining flour. Season and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until thickened. Set filling aside to cool.

Roll out pastry to (4 mm) thick. Use two-thirds of the pastry to line the base and sides of the pan, then add filling. Top with remaining pastry, seal edge with a fork and remove and discard excess pastry.

Brush the top with egg and cut a small cross in the centre to allow steam to escape during cooking.

Bake for 50 minutes or until golden. Cool for 10 minutes, then serve.