Chicken pot pie from a whole chicken, with homemade stock and individual freezer pies

Break the chicken down: remove the spine, snip the base of the breastbone and flatten, remove the wings with a radial cut at the joint, separate the legs from the breast, skin everything keeping the skin, and cut the breasts off the breastbone with shallow cuts alongside it.

Separate thigh from drumstick by cutting down the centre of the strip of fat to find the joint, scrape the drumstick meat off the bone and cut the thigh meat off its single bone. Reserve all bones.

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, keeping breast and dark meat separate, and refrigerate.

Cut the spine and carcass into manageable pieces and toss with a little neutral oil.

Spread on a greased rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400F about an hour, until deeply brown.

Cover the roasted bones, skin, vegetables, garlic, peppercorns and herbs with water and slow simmer four to 24 hours, or pressure cook 60 minutes.

Release the pressure and drain the stock.

Whisk the flour and salt, then cut the cold butter in to pea-sized pieces with a pastry cutter.

Add just enough ice water to bring the dough together, starting with 50 g and adding a tablespoon or two at a time; bring together with a spatula and then by hand without over kneading.

Wrap tightly in plastic, press into a disc and refrigerate at least one hour.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and saute the chicken breast two to three minutes for colour, then set aside.

Add another two tablespoons of butter and the chopped onion and saute two to three minutes.

Add the chopped carrots, celery and parsnips and saute over medium about five minutes until softened and just colouring.

Add the chopped thyme and saute 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the flour and cook one to two minutes.

Deglaze with the white wine or dry sherry and cook about a minute until the alcohol smell wears off.

Add the stock a splash at a time until a thick paste forms, working up to two cups, then return the chicken and its juices.

Bring to a simmer and cook about five minutes until the chicken is cooked through, then season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Kill the heat and stir in the chopped parsley, frozen peas and heavy cream. Cover and set aside.

Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface to about an eighth of an inch and cut a round to fit the skillet.

Precut the vents, then chill the formed crust at least 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and it shrinks less.

Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with flaky salt and bake at 375F for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Cool completely 10 to 15 minutes on a wire rack, slide on top of the filling and bake a further 10 minutes at 400F until bubbly and golden.

Variation, freezer pies: cut the dark meat the same size and cook it the same way but with just a little oil instead of butter, adding the aromatics and stock and simmering about 20 minutes so the dark meat breaks down.

Variation: thicken with two to three tablespoons of cornstarch mixed smooth with about half a cup of cold stock, streamed in while mixing, and cook about three more minutes; season and add parsley, then cool.

Variation: divide the filling into ramekins, top with crust rounds cut a little larger than the dish, wrap in plastic and freeze up to three months.

Variation: reheat from frozen wrapped in foil at 400F for about 30 minutes, then unwrap, brush with beaten egg and bake another 20 minutes until golden and bubbly.