Step 1

Place the chicken, stock, and bay leaves into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Remove chicken from the pot and let cool to the touch.

Step 2

Strain cooking liquid, discard any strained bits, and set aside. Remove skin and bones from chicken and dice into medium-sized chunks, set aside.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter in the same pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and thyme. Stir to coat in the butter, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Add the flour to the pan and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium and slowly add in the milk, 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken cooking liquid, and the salt and pepper. Stir and let bubble until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the diced chicken back to the pan with the peas. Coat everything in the sauce.

Step 5

Divide filling equally between two 4x2 inch oven-safe dishes. Set aside.

Step 6

Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Roll everything between your fingers until the mixture is crumbly yet combined. This will take a few minutes.

Step 7

Turn dough out onto a flour work surface, press dough into a ball. Divide into two pieces. Roll out each piece with a rolling pin a little larger than 4 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. Drape each piece over each baking dish, using a knife cut off any excess. Make a small hole in the top of the crust so the steam can escape.

Step 8

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.