The Best Greek Chicken Pie by Rick Stein

How to Make the Greek Chicken Pie By Rick Stein

1. Put the onions, butter and olive oil into a large pan or stockpot with a lid, add the whole chicken and pour in enough water so the bird is almost submerged.
2. Cover with the lid, bring the water up to the boil, then turn down to barely a simmer and poach the chicken for about 1½ hours.
3. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and strain the cooking liquid into another pan, keeping the onions to return to the dish later.
4. Boil the liquid hard to reduce to a tasty gelatinous stock.
5. Allow the chicken to cool before stripping all the meat off the carcass, discarding the bones and skin.
6. Put the chicken and the reserved onions into a large bowl and mix well.
7. Add the eggs and chicken stock and season with the salt and some pepper.
8. Heat the oven to 230°C/gas 8/ 446° F.
9. Grease a round pie dish with olive oil.
10. Line the dish with 3 sheets of filo, alternating direction each time and brushing each layer with a little olive oil.
11. Add the chicken mixture and fold the overhanging edges in.
12. Top with a further 3 layers of filo, again placed at different angles to one another.
13. Fold in the overhanging edges to seal the pie and brush all over with more olive oil.
14. Bake for 15 minutes.
15. Remove from the oven, reduce the heat to 200°C/gas 6/392° F , cut the pie into 6 or 8 wedges, then bake for a further 45 minutes.
16. Allow to rest for 10–20 minutes, then serve, still warm.