This is a tasty pie, brilliant for using left over chicken from the Sunday Roast - a great start of the week dinner. Very comforting and lovely served with a nice creamy mash accompanied by honey glazed roast veg or with a crisp salad.
ABOVE: Chicken and Leek Pie served with honey glazed carrots and mash. Perfect for a winters evening.
For Pastry
8oz Plain flour 4oz Cold diced butter A couple tablespoons of ice cold water Pinch of salt
Method for Pastry Place sieved flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and rub in the chilled butter with nice cold light hands until it turns to a breadcrumb like consistency. You could also place these ingredients in a food processor and blitz. Add a tablespoon of cold water and mix or whiz. Add a little more water until mix comes together and becomes a dough ball. Once dough is formed cling wrap and leave to chill in fridge for thirty minutes.
Turn Oven onto 180c or 160c (fan assisted)
Ingredients for filling
1 Chopped onion 1 large leek 2 to 3 rashers 2 tablespoons of flour 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon A couple of tablespoons of olive oil 300 to 400ml chicken stock Left over chicken meat* from breast, legs (minus skin and bones) *The meat has a pulled appearance to it when removed from carcass, so this is an opportune time to remove any surplus gristle or fatty bits. A couple of handfuls of frozen Peas
A couple of tablespoons of cream
Salt and pepper to season
Splash of white wine
Method
While the pastry is chilling, finely chop the onion and leek. Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and place on a medium heat. Add onions and leeks to pan, turn down heat as you want to soften these and not brown them. After a few minutes add the finely chopped rashers and turn up heat. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add tarragon and seasoning.
ABOVE: Pour everything into the bowl
On a medium heat add the flour to the pan to make a roux. Cook out for a minute or two. Now add chicken stock and turn up heat while stirring to make the sauce. Add a splash of white wine and allow to cook out and then reduce heat. Leave to simmer gently. Add in your chicken and coat with sauce. Simmer for a few minutes. Add a little more stock if you think the mix is a little too thick or reducing too much. Now lower the heat. Finally add the cream and peas. Remove from cooker.
Roll out pastry on a floured surface to a thickness of 0.5cm (Quarter inch thick). Put chicken and leek mixture into a pie dish. Place pastry across the top of the dish, ensuring there is an overhang. Seal the edges by pressing down. Remove the surplus pastry with a sharp knife, cutting out from around the dish to leave a small overhang. Crimp edge all around the dish to seal. Brush egg wash over the top of pastry and cut slits into top of pie to enable steam release. If feeling creative cut out a few shapes such as leaves to decorate. Bake at 180c (160c with fan oven) for about 35 to 40 minutes.
ABOVE: Straight out of the oven. Mmmmmm!