Prep time: 15-20mins 

Cooking time: 1 ½ hr 

Serves 6 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1kg chicken thighs  
• 1 brown onion 150g 
• 3 garlic cloves 15g  
• 1 leek 200g  
• 2 celery sticks 120g 

• ½ fennel 200g 
• ¼ cup verjuice  
• 8g Tarragon  
• 300ml chicken stock  
• 300ml cream  

• 3 Tbsp flour  
• 1 ½ Tbsp seeded mustard  
• 2 bay leaves  
• 1 tsp dry Tarragon 
• Salt & Pepper  

ROUGH PUFF PASTRY  

• 250g cold butter  
• 250g sifted baker's flour  
• 1 tsp salt  
• 80g icy water  

METHOD: 

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl, tear the butter into small pieces and place into the flour. Add the salt and using your hands, gently rub to combine the ingredients together, until it forms sandy texture; you will still see the butter. Gently knead the dough with cold water until it resembles a firm dough. Roll dough into a rectangle, wrap with clean film and place in the fridge for ½ hr. 
2. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200°C. Peel and finely cut the onion, small dice the fennel, carrot, leek and celery, crush the garlic, finely pick and chop the tarragon and set aside. Cut the chicken into 2cm pieces and set aside. 
3. In a large casserole type dish, on high heat, drizzle olive oil and add the chicken, sear for approx.5 mins until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and place into a bowl, juices included. 
4. In the same casserole pan, on high heat, drizzle olive oil and add the onion, leek and garlic. Cook for 5-7 mins until sweated down and lightly caramelised. Add the fennel and cook for further 3 mins, then add the celery and carrots and cook for another 5 mins. 
5. Add the chicken, seeded mustard, verjuice, tarragon and bay leaves into the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins. Add the chicken stock and cream and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the flour and turn down to medium low heat. Cook for a further 10 mins, stirring occasionally until it thickens. Check seasoning and turn off the heat, set aside.  
6. Remove the dough from the fridge and lightly flour the bench top. Roll the pastry into a rectangle shape, tripling the current size, and roll until it is approx. 1/2cm thick. Fold the left side of the dough, towards the middle, then fold the right side towards the middle and then fold the dough in half, into a book-like shape. Wrap with cling film and place into the fridge for another 20mins. Remove from the fridge and repeat this step two more times. 
7. Place the chicken mix into a baking dish and roll out the pastry into the shape of your baking dish, approx. 5mm thick. Brush the pastry edges with water and place on top of the baking dish, applying pressure to the edges to ensure it sticks. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter and brush across the top of the pastry. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30-40 mins or until puffed and golden brown. Use the grill function for a couple of minutes for extra colour, if desired. 
8. Remove from oven and serve with a fresh, leafy salad.