CREAMY CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

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CREAMY CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE image

Categories     Chicken     Bake

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

For the filling:
450ml/16fl oz chicken stock
3 chicken breasts, skinned
75g/3oz butter
2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 1cm/½in slices
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g/2oz plain flour
200ml/7fl oz milk
2-3 tbsp white wine (optional)
150ml/3fl oz double cream
150g/5oz piece thickly carved ham, cut into 2cm chunks
sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
For the pastry:
350g/12oz plain flour
200g/7oz butter
1 free-range egg beaten with 1 tbsp cold water, plus 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze

Steps:

  • 1. Heat the chicken stock in lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breast and simmer with lid, 10min. Remove chicken from water. Pour the cooking liquor into a large jug. 2. Melt 1oz butter in large heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Stir in leeks and fry gently for 2min until softened. Add garlic, cook 1min. Add remaining butter and stir in flour as soon as butter has melted. Cook for 30sec, stirring constantly. 3. Slowly add milk, stirring well. Gradually add 250ml/10fl oz of stock and wine, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to simmer for 3min. 4. Season mixture to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 5. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Pour into large bowl and cover surface of sauce with cling film to prevent a skin. Set to cool. 5. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Put a baking tray in oven to heat. 6. For pastry, put flour and butter in food processor and blend on pulse setting until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While mixing, add beaten egg and water, blend until forms a ball. Portion off 250g/10oz of pastry for the lid. 7. Roll remaining pastry on lightly floured surface, turning pastry until around 5mm/¼in thick and 4cm/1½in larger than the pie dish. Lift pastry over rolling pin and place gently into pie dish. Press pastry firmly up sides, remove bubbles. Leave excess pastry. 8. Cut chicken breasts into 1¼in pieces. Stir chicken, ham and leeks into cooled sauce. Pour filling into pie. Brush rim of dish with beaten egg. Roll out reserved pastry for lid. 9. Cover with pastry lid and press edges together firmly to seal. Trim excess pastry. 10. Make small hole in centre of pie with tip of knife. Glaze pie with beaten egg. Bake on preheated tray in centre of oven for 35-40 minutes or until pie is golden-brown

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