LEFTOVER TURKEY AND LEEK PIE

LEFTOVER TURKEY AND LEEK PIE image

Yield 4-6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford, roughly chopped
½ bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked
olive oil
a large knob of butter
2kg leeks, washed, trimmed; white end chopped into chunks, green end finely sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
800g cooked white turkey meat, torn into big chunks (brown too if you want)
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 pints turkey, chicken or vegetable stock, preferably organic
2 tablespoons of crème fraîche
1 x 500g packet puff pastry
12 jarred or vac-packed chestnuts, roasted and peeled
2 sprigs fresh sage, leaves picked
1 egg, preferably free-range or organic, beaten

Steps:

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Put your bacon in a large pan on a medium heat and add your thyme leaves. Add a lug of olive oil and the butter and let it all fry, a few minutes. Add all of your prepped leeks and fry for about 3 minutes so they are well-coated in the butter. Add a pinch of salt and pepper then cover, turn the heat down to medium and let them cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. There's going to be enough moisture in the leeks, so they should be soft and melt in your mouth once they're done. When your leeks are ready, add the turkey meat to them and stir. If you've got a bit of stuffing mixed in there you can put that in too. Add the flour, mix it in well then pour in your stock and stir again. Add the crème fraîche then turn the heat up and bring everything back up to the boil. Salt and pepper to taste and then turn the heat off. Pour the mixture through a sieve over another large empty pan and let the gravy from the mixture drip into the pan while you roll out your pastry. Get a deep baking dish roughly 22 x 30cm. Roll your pastry out so it's about double the size of your dish. Crumble the chestnuts over one half of the pastry then tear a few of the sage leaves over the chestnuts. Fold the other half of pastry on top then roll it out carefully and evenly so you have a rectangle big enough to cover your baking tray. Don't worry if a few bits stick out here and there. Spoon the leek mixture from your sieve into the pie dish and spread it out evenly. Lay your pastry on top, tuck the ends under then gently score the pastry diagonally with your knife. Add a pinch of salt to your beaten egg then paint the egg wash over the top of your pastry. Pop your pie in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. When the pie is ready, re-heat the gravy and serve with your pie, along with some peas tossed in butter, lemon, salt and pepper.