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Tom Kerridge's chicken pie is 'rich and comforting' when topped with 1 extra ingredient
Reach Daily Express | March 8, 2026 11:39 AM CST

National Pie Week is in full swing and one of the UK's best chefs has shared one of his favourite pies that home cooks can enjoy at home. Chef Tom Kerridge, who runs two Michelin-starred pub The Hand & Flowers, one Michelin-starred The Coach (one star) and The Butcher's Tap and Grill in Marlow, as well as Kerridge's Bar & Grill, is going all out for comfort food this week.

To tantalise tastebuds, Tom shared one of his favourite pies, from his 2014 book Tom Kerridge's Best Ever Dishes. He aims to show home cooks how you can elevate simple and much-loved dishes to be the best they can pie. One of Tom's picks is a rich and comforting chicken pie. To give it an instant upgrade, he's not just pairing it with bacon, but adds a surprising nut for an extra flavour dimension - and some nice decoration.

His choice of nut is pistachio. Pistachios can add an earthy and nutty flavour to a dish, without being too sweet.

In an Instagram post from earlier this week, Tom wrote: "British Pie Week calls for something properly comforting.

"This Chicken, Bacon & Pistachio Pie is rich, savoury and packed with flavour, exactly the kind of pie that deserves a place in the middle of the table. A great one to start the week."

He described the pie on his website: "This pie looks impressive but it's actually very easy to make and tastes fantastic. I've made it with chicken here, but you can try pork or beef if you fancy - it will taste just as good."

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His recipe can be easily adapted to whatever your preferences are, swapping out the chicken for a pork or beef-based pie. His recipe got the attention of food lovers, with one person saying: "Love the pistachio addition."

Another wrote: "Sounds delicious!"

Here's how you can make a pie worthy of a Michelin-starred chef at home.

Tom Kerridge's Chicken, Bacon & Pistachio Pie

Ingredients (serve four)

  • Vegetable oil, for cooking
  • 250g smoked or unsmoked bacon, diced
  • 400g minced chicken, leg meat only if at all possible
  • Two onions, finely diced
  • 200g garlic cloves, grated
  • 200g button mushrooms, sliced
  • 500ml rich chicken stock
  • One tbsp brined green peppercorns, drained
  • 100g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
  • Two tbsp chopped oregano
  • One x 250g packet of filo pastry
  • 150g butter, melts
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Warm a saucepan over a medium heat and drizzle in a little oil. Add the bacon and cook until it starts to brown. Add the minced chicken and cook, stirring now and again, until it has turned golden brown.

Place a colander over a bowl and drain the meat, reserving the fat. Pour the fat back into the pan and put it back on the hob over a medium-low heat.

Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Tip in the mushrooms and the cooked mince.

Cover with the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens - about 10-15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the green peppercorns and most of the chopped pistachios, saving some for garnishing later. Add the fresh oregano and season. Leave to cool.

Take a sheet of filo pastry and brush it with the melted butter, sprinkle on some dried oregano and place a second piece of filo directly on top of the first.

Brush that sheet of filo with butter and sprinkle with dried oregano too. Repeat the process until you have six or seven layers - work quickly so the filo doesn't dry out.

Preheat the oven to 200/Gas Mark 6. Grease a 20cm-diameter cast-iron dish or heavy, ovenproof frying pan with some of the melted butter and then press in the layered filo. Spoon in the chicken mixture, pushing it right up to the edges. Bring the edges of the filo up over the top of the filling.

Take another sheet of filo, brush it with butter and sprinkle on a little dried oregano, then push it down on top of the filling. Repeat with another five layers, but place them on top of each other with a few creases to add a little texture.

Brush the top layer with butter and sprinkle on the remaining pistachios. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden and the middle is hot. Serve straight away.


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