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1
PASTRY Grease pie dish with oil or butter and use one pastry sheet to line the tray, adding another half a sheet if your pie dish is large (using your fingers to join the edges).
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2
Cut off excess, add a few fork pricks, and blind bake the pastry in a low temperature oven until mostly cooked, about 10 minutes, and let cool.
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3
PIE FILLING Heat oil or butter over a medium heat and add diced celery and carrot to slightly soften and sweat, just a few minutes.
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4
Add the chicken stock, bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes or so.
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5
Add the shredded cooked chicken and heat through.
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6
Remove the saucepan from the heat and drain and reserve any liquid.
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7
SAUCE Heat milk and corn flour over a low heat, stirring constantly to keep it smooth.
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8
Add some of the drained chicken stock a tablespoon or so at a time (about a quarter to half a cup), continuing to stir, until you have the amount of sauce you like for a pie.
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9
Make sure the sauce is a good thickness as you don't want a watery pie.
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10
PUT IT TOGETHER Add the sauce mix and cheese to the veggie/chicken mix and stir.
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11
Pour this combination into the blind baked pie crust.
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12
Top with the remaining pastry sheet, cut off excess, crimp the edges to seal, and put a few fork pricks in the top.
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13
Bake in a preheated oven, medium temperature, for about 30 minutes or until the top pastry has crisped up and is golden.
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14
HINTS AND TIPS Blind baking 1.
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15
To avoid the pastry ballooning, weight down the pie base with dried beans over grease proof paper (or oil sprayed foil if you don't have paper), and if necessary, remove the beans/paper for a few minutes at the end to help the bottom cook.
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16
2.
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If your oven runs hot like mine, to prevent the edges burning, get a large sheet of foil, cut out and discard a centre circle that is slightly smaller than the pie, and wrap the remaining foil over the edge of the pie so that the edges are protected and the centre and sides are exposed.
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18
If necessary, do this for the next baking stage as well, removing at the end to ensure the edge is crispy.
