Chicken Leek Pie Recipes

PROPER CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Use a large sharp knife to carefully cut down the back bone of the chicken, cutting it in half. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear for 10 minutes, or until golden. Reserve the pan for the cabbage.
• Meanwhile, chop the pancetta into 1cm chunks, pick in the thyme leaves and place in a large shallow casserole pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. Put it on a medium heat so the fat renders out, while you wash and trim the white part of the leek (save the green for making soup) and the celery. Peel the onion and carrot, then roughly chop all the veg into 1.5cm chunks and add to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
• Stir in 2 heaped tablespoons of flour, cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the cider. Let it bubble away for 2 minutes or until almost evaporated, then stir in the mustard and stock. Add the chicken breast-side down, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on a low heat for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
• Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the flour in a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Grate in the cold butter, then rub with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in 100ml of cold water, mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands until it forms a dough, adding an extra splash of water if needed. Divide into 2 pieces - you will need ⅓ for the lid and ⅔ for the base - flatten with your hands and chill until needed.
• Finely slice the mushrooms and set aside.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred the meat (discard the carcass).
• Stir the mushrooms into the pan, followed by the shredded chicken and the crème fraîche, mix well and season to taste.
• Strain the chicken mixture through a sieve over a clean pan to catch the liquid, gently pressing to help it along, and reserve for your gravy. Leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
• Lightly grease a 30cm pie dish with oil. Roll out the larger piece of pastry between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper to just a few millimetres thick and use it to line the dish - allow an overhang. Press firmly into the edges and up the sides of the dish.
• Fill with the cooled chicken mixture, then carefully roll out and top with the remaining piece of pastry. Beat the egg and brush a little over the edge of the lid then fold over the overhang and press down gently to seal. Egg wash the pie all over, then make a small incision in the centre to let the steam escape and bake at the bottom of the oven for 1 hour, or until the pastry is golden and the pie is piping hot.
• Click off and discard any tatty outer leaves from the cabbage, then cut in half. Halve the core, then finely slice. Roughly chop the rest into large chunks. Place the chicken pan on a high heat, add the cabbage stalks and fry for 2 minutes, then go in with the leaves and a splash of water and cook for 5 minutes more, or until softened and lightly charred. Stir in the mustard, then add a pinch of salt and white pepper with a splash of water, and simmer for 1 minute, tossing a few times.
• Reheat the gravy and enjoy with the pie and cabbage. Delicious served with creamy mash.

EASY CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200C. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and cook leek for about 3 minutes or until soft. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Combine stock, milk and cream in a jug, gradually stir into leek mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in chicken and parsley then spoon mixture into a lightly greased ovenproof dish (six-cup capacity) and cool. When cold, brush rim of dish with a little extra milk and place puff pastry over filling, trim to fit dish and decorate edges. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes then brush top with a little extra milk and cut a small slit in the pastry for steam to escape. Bake for 20-40 minutes or until pastry is golden. *Raw chicken breasts can be poached in two cups' chicken stock for 10 minutes then rested in the stock for 10 minutes before chopping.

EASY CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• Heat a dash of olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken pieces over a high heat for 3 minutes. Add the leek, garlic, soft cheese, mustard, stock cube and 200ml/7fl oz boiling water. Pour the mixture into a large ovenproof dish and lay the puff pastry sheet over the top. Brush with milk.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden-brown and the pie is cooked through. Serve.

EASY CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and leeks and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
• Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, for another 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, add the wine and bubble away until reduced by two-thirds. Pour in the stock and simmer until reduced by half. Add the cream and tarragon, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-6 minutes until thickened. Season, then spoon into a 2.5-litre pie dish (or 4 x 300ml ovenproof dishes). Set aside to cool.
• Brush a little water along the edge of the pie dish or dishes. Unroll the pastry and cut out a piece large enough to cover the dish or dishes. Press down the edges and trim off the excess. Snip a small hole in the centre of the pastry to let the steam escape. Put on a baking tray and chill for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/fan200°C/gas 7.
• Beat the egg with a little salt, then brush over the pastry. Bake for 40-45 minutes (20-25 minutes if you are making individual pies) until the pastry is golden.

CHICKEN & LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Put the chicken into a deep pan that is just large enough to hold it quite snugly. Pour in enough water to half-cover the bird, then tip in the peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, onion and celery. Add ½ tsp salt and bring to the boil on the hob, then reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer for 1 hr-1 hr 15 until tender.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate. Strain 425ml of the stock into a measuring jug (top up with water if you need to). Strip the meat off the chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a 1.7-litre pie dish.
• Put the eggs in boiling water and boil for 6 minutes. Drain, cool them under cold water and remove the shells. Quarter the eggs and nestle them in the pie dish among the chicken pieces.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Add the leeks and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock a third at a time, stirring continuously and making sure the sauce is thick and smooth before adding the next batch. Stir in the mustard, crème fraîche and parsley, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper to taste. Add salt if needed. Spoon over the chicken and leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Reserve a quarter of the pastry for decoration and roll out the remainder to a shape about 5cm larger than the top of the pie dish, then cut a 2.5cm strip from all round the edge. Brush the edge of the dish with water and stick the pastry strip to it. Brush the strip with water. Flip the pastry lid over the rolling pin, lift it up and unroll over the pie. Press the edge on to the pastry strip to seal, and trim any excess with a sharp knife.
• Tap the blade of a small sharp knife all along the outside edge of the pastry (this helps the edge to rise during cooking), then flute it using the back of the knife. Make a hole in the lid centre with the tip of the knife, to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
• Roll out the pastry you put aside earlier. Cut 8 long strips each about 1cm wide, and two more strips each about 4cm wide. Cut the wider strips diagonally to make eight diamond leaf shapes. Mark the veins of the leaves with the tip of a sharp knife. Brush the pastry lid with beaten egg, then lay the eight thin strips on top, as in the picture. Brush again with egg and arrange the leaves in the centre, between the strips. Brush with egg.
• Chill the pie for 15 mins, if you have time, to set the pastry. Will keep in the fridge for one day - just add 4-5 mins to baking time. Bake for 30-35 mins until the pastry is crisp, puffed up and deep golden brown.

CHICKEN & LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces - I like mine about 1 to 2 inches square.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan until very hot. Brown the chicken pieces a few at a time, depending on the size of your pan. When they're all done, put them to one side.
• Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Add the onion and leek, cover and turn the heat down low. Cook like this for about 10 minutes until the onion and leek are nicely softened. Then add the flour, stir in well and cook until completely incorporated, which will take a couple of minutes or so.
• Add a cupful of the stock and stir. The sauce should immediately start to thicken. Add the rest of the stock, bit-by-bit, until you have about a third left.
• Add the chicken pieces back to the pan. Quarter the mushrooms and add them too. If the sauce seems a bit too thick, add a bit more stock. Add the thyme.
• Cook on a medium heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, and then pour in the cream. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
• If you are adding the potatoes, boil them separately and then chop into smallish pieces. Add to the sauce.
• Cook until the sauce has reduced to your preferred consistency. If it's too thick, add a bit more stock to thin it out. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the sauce into a shallow ovenproof dish and top with the puff pastry. Cook at 200°C, Gas Mark 6 for 20-30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
• Serve with veggie of your choice. Buttered carrots with parsley would go nicely, as would green beans.

IRISH CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, layer the chicken, ham, leeks and onion a couple of times each until the dish is full. Season each layer with a little salt, pepper and mace. Pour the chicken stock over the layers, and dampen the edges of the dish.
• Roll the pie pastry out large enough to cover the top of the dish, and place over the top. Crimp the sides down with a fork, and trim the excess from the edges. Cut a round hole in the center of the pastry. Roll dough scraps out and cut into strips. Use the strips to form a design, and place lightly over the hole. Brush the entire top with milk.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until chicken is cooked through. If the top crust is getting too brown, cover it with parchment or aluminum foil. While the pie is baking, heat the cream over low heat. When the pie is cooked, remove from the oven, and carefully remove the design from the hole. Pour the cream into the hole, and replace the design. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

EASY PEASY CHICKEN, MUSHROOM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the sliced leeks and the quartered mushrooms into a wide ovenproof pan (see Note 2) and fry over a fairly high heat, stirring regularly, for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Tip the mushrooms and leeks onto a plate and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Allow the pan to heat back up again and then fry the diced chicken for 4 minutes, or until lightly browned on most sides. (The chicken should NOT be fully cooked at this point.)
• Return the mushrooms and leeks to the pan and add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then turn right down low.
• Allow the pie filling to simmer gently for 2 minutes, then add the crème fraîche, black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. When the crème fraiche is fully stirred in, turn the heat off.
• Leave the pan to cool for 2 minutes, then top with scrunched up sheets of filo pastry: simply take each sheet of filo pastry, scrunch it up in your hand and plop it gently on top of the filling. Repeat until the pie is completely covered, then lightly brush with a little olive oil (or melted butter).
• Place the pie into your pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown on top and the filling is bubbling (see Note 3).
• Serve the chicken pie with your favourite green vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, peas or asparagus

CHICKEN, LEEK & MUSHROOM PIES

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a shallow pan and gently cook the leeks with the thyme for 8 mins, or until soft. Add both types of mushrooms and cook for 5 mins more, then turn up the heat a little, add the chicken and stir until the chicken starts to brown. Scatter over the flour and stir to make a paste and continue to cook for 2 mins.
• Splash in the wine, if using, and sizzle for 1 min, stirring, then pour in the stock, cream and lemon juice, season and simmer for 10 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Leave to cool, then pop in the fridge to chill. Can be made up to two days ahead. Assemble the pies as directed in Tom's pie pastry recipe, decorating the tops with any trimmings, if you like.

CHICKEN, LEEK & MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large pan with the bay, half the thyme sprigs, the parsley stalks, onions, garlic, stock and seasoning. Pour the milk over the chicken and, if you need to, top up with water to make sure the chicken is covered. Bring the chicken to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 mins. Lift from the liquid and leave to cool.
• Drain the poaching liquid through a sieve into a large jug - you need 650ml to make the sauce for your pie.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan over a low-medium heat. Add the leeks and the mushrooms, and cook for 5-10 mins until soft, then season well. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Slowly add the poaching liquid, stirring until you have a thick sauce.
• Using two forks, pull the chicken apart into thumb-sized chunks rather than chopping it - I feel you get a far better pie this way. Chop the parsley leaves, then stir into the leeks with the thyme leaves, crème frâiche and chicken. Check the seasoning, then spoon the mixture into your pie dish (or dishes) to cool slightly.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly dusted work surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut thin strips from the edges and use a little water to stick these around the lip of the pie dish, then wet the top of the pastry strip. Lift the pastry on top of the pie, trim the edges and crimp them with your fingers or a fork. Brush the top with milk and cut a steam hole in the middle.
• Put the dish on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until the pastry is risen and golden. Some of the filling will have bubbled up through the steam hole. Have a bottle of tomato ketchup on hand to serve, if you like - and be careful, the pie will be hot.

CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Pre heat oven 170 (fan assisted), 190/ gas 5.
• Melt half the butter in a large frying pan,add the chicken and fry until coloured all over. Remove and set aside.
• Melt the remaining butter and fry the leeks and mushrooms for 5mins or until soft. Add the chicken and stir, sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
• Pour over the chicken stock, stir and season well. Simmer for 5mins over a gentle heat.
• Take off the heat and add the cream, stir well then add the tarragon. Stir again.
• Roll out the puff pastry. Place mixture into a pie dish and place puff pastry lid on top, crimp the edges and brush with the beaten egg. Place in pre heated oven for 30 mins or until pastry has turned golden brown. Best served with steamed new potatoes!