Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie
An absolutely delicious and succulent chicken &
ham pie - when you need something warm and comforting after a long day, there’s
nothing like a proper British pie!
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
450ml chicken stock
3 chicken breasts, skinned
75g butter
2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm slices
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g plain flour
200ml milk
2-3 tbsp white wine
150ml double cream
150g piece thickly carved ham, cut into 2cm chunks
sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
500g pre-prepared short crust pastry
1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze
Method
1. Place the chicken stock into a lidded saucepan, add
the chicken breasts and bring to a low simmer. Cover with the lid and
simmer for 10 minutes, remove the chicken and place on a plate. Pour the
stock into a jug and set aside.
2. Melt 25g of the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat, add the
leeks and fry gently for two minutes, stir occasionally until softened. Add the
garlic and cook for a further minute and then add the remaining butter and stir
in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring
constantly.
3. Gradually pour the milk into the
pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each pour. Slowly add
250ml of the reserved stock and the wine, stirring until the sauce is smooth and
thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Season the mixture, to taste, with salt
and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to
prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas
Mark 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat.
Portion off 250g of pastry for the lid and roll the
remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry
frequently until around 5mm/¼in thick and 4cm/1½in larger than the 23cm/9inch
pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie
dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles.
Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides.
6. Cut the chicken breasts into 3cm/1¼in
pieces. Stir the chicken, ham and leeks into the cooled sauce. Pour the chicken
filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. Roll out
the reserved pastry for the lid.
7. Cover the pie with the pastry lid and
press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry.
8. Make a small hole in the centre of the pie
with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg and place in
the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
9. Bake on the preheated tray in the centre
of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the pie is golden-brown all over and the
filling is piping hot, enjoy!
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