Serves 4
1 whole roasted chicken
12 button mushrooms, quartered
Olive oil
6 asparagus spears, blanched and cut into 3
6 baby leeks, blanched and cut into 3
200g cooked ham, cubed
¼ bunch finely chopped parsley
¼ bunch finely chopped chives
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, plus 1 yolk, beaten
1 tbsp thyme leaves
Sea salt and pepper
For the sauce
60g butter
50g plain flour
650ml chicken stock
225ml double cream
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 Pull off all the meat and skin from the chicken. Chop the skin finely and pull the meat into bite-sized pieces.
2 Fry the mushrooms with olive oil until golden. Combine in a bowl with the chicken, asparagus, leeks, ham, parsley and chives.
3 For the sauce, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock ladle by ladle, whisking all the time, until smooth.
4 Add the cream; simmer for 5 minutes, whisking. Remove from heat, add the thyme and season.
5 Pour the cooled sauce over the chicken mixture; stir to combine. Add to a baking dish; chill to set.
6 Roll out the pastry and cut so it is slightly larger than your baking dish. Brush the edges of the dish with egg wash. Drape the pastry over the dish, pressing down the edges. Brush evenly with egg wash and season with thyme, sea salt and pepper. Chill for 30 minutes.
7 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Bake the pie for 45 minutes until golden brown and hot throughout. Serve with new potatoes and seasonal greens.
Le Poulet du Dimanche menu is available lunch and dinner every Sunday, £95 for two people. Hélène Darroze at the Connaught, Carlos Place, London W1 (020 3147 7200; the-connaught.co.uk)