Chicken & Leek Pie
This pie contains all the things that a pie ought to. Flaky, buttery pastry, salty bacon and a creamy sauce are what make this chicken and leek one-dish wonder. This pie is perfect for when days are grey and cold; a Sunday afternoon labour of love with delicious payoff. It is also mighty delicious on the second day, however it rarely survives that long in our flat.
I’ve made this recipe, originally from Little & Friday, more times than I can remember. My version calls for more butter, and a little less liquid. There is quite a bit of volume to the mixture - the bigger your pan, the better.
Takes about 2 hours. Serves 6.
INGREDIENTS
- 100g butter
- 6 rashers of streaky bacon
- 800g chicken thighs, diced into 2cm sized pieces
- 4 leeks, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- ⅓ cup of flour
- 2 ½ cups of chicken stock
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
- salt & fresh pepper
- 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
- egg, for glazing
METHOD
1. Grease 1 large pie dish, or several smaller pie dishes.
2. On a floured surface, roll pastry until it is amount 5mm thin. Cut it in half, using one half to line the base of the greased dish, and set the other half aside for the latticed top. Place the dish in the fridge.
3. Melt a knob of butter, and cook the bacon until browned in a large pan. Set aside, dice when cool, and be careful to leave the juices in the pan.
4. Add the chicken to the pan and brown, for approximately four minutes. Set aside.
5. Lower the temperature slightly, and add the leeks and thyme to the pan. You may need to add some more butter here.
6.Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees.
7. Add flour to the remaining butter to form a roux. It has taken me a few goes to get a roux right, and I love this video on Youtube which helps to make it a bit more foolproof. Cook the roux, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick. Then add the chicken stock, one cup at a time, allowing the roux to absorb the liquid. This should create a thick sauce.
8. Add the chicken, bacon and leeks to the sauce on a medium heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken so that the ingredients don’t sink right to the bottom. Then add the mustard and parsley, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside to cool.
9. Fill the lined dish with the mixture, top with grated cheese and add the pastry in a lattice design on the top.
10. Glaze pastry with an egg wash (I often cheat and just glaze with a bit of melted butter), and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
If you are ever lucky enough to find yourself visiting Auckland, Little & Friday is well worth a visit any time of the day, several times of the day. I always come home with a jar of treats, which never last long. Enjoy!
With Love, Kate
