Step 1

To make the chicken pie filling, turn the Instant Pot on and press the Sauté button. Once the pot heats up slightly, add the butter, onions and bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times.

Step 2

Add the potatoes, carrot, celery, chicken, garlic, stock and pepper and stir through. Press Cancel/Keep Warm to stop the Sauté process.

Step 3

Place the lid on top, lock it and make sure the vent is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual, HIGH pressure and set the time to 4 minutes. Yes, 4 minutes is plenty as all our ingredients are diced, plus the cooking will begin while the pressure is still building up (this will take about 7-10 minutes and then the timer will start).

Step 4

Once the timer is finished, use the quick release method to let off the steam from the pot. Simply point the vent handle on the lid to Venting and stand back. A quick tip is to move the handle to Venting a few times, to begin with, to let off a little pressure at a time and then leave it on Venting to finish the release.

Step 5

While the chicken filling is cooking (this should be about 15 minutes), thaw out the frozen peas in boiling hot water.

Step 6

Open the Instant Pot lid and stir in the peas, flour and cream while the mixture is very hot. It should thicken slightly.

Step 7

If you decide to serve this dish as a deconstructed chicken pie, then you will need to bake the puff pastry sticks while the chicken is cooking. Make sure to preheat the oven before you start the filling and set it to 200 C / 400 F and take the puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw out for 5-10 minutes.

Step 8

Roll out the pastry sheet on a cutting board and cut it into thick 2” strips. Simply twist each strip starting in the middle. Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat baking tray and drizzle lightly with olive oil or grease with some butter. Place the twisted pastry strips on top. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until they are golden brown and puffed up.

Step 9

Once the pie filling is in the Instant Pot and cooking, preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Remove the puff pastry sheet from the freezer and let it thaw out on the kitchen table, this should take about 5-10 minutes. We only needed to use one sheet of pastry for our baking dish but you might need two.

Step 10

Transfer the chicken filling into an oven-proof casserole dish or a pie dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, if using. Cover the softened puff pastry sheet and use any offcuts as strips over the top and around the edges. You can get creative with the pastry and cut out some fun shaped to stick over the top.

Step 11

Whisk an egg in a bowl and brush lightly over the pastry top. This will give the crust a lovely shine. Place the pie dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and puffed up. Serve while hot.