Deliciously Creamy Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie
One of the best things about the colder months is the food - there’s nothing better than coming in from the cold to steaming, comforting food, the heartier the better! We adore pie’s here, whether they be shortcrust, flaky puff pastry, or water crust - or even sweet or savoury - they’re all delicious and all deserve a place in our hearts.
Everything about this chicken pie made it the best we’ve ever - from the crisp pastry, to the oozing creamy sauce, to the saltiness from the ham and the sweetness from the leeks. Nothing beats a drizzle of gravy and fluffy roast potatoes on the side. Delicious!
Ingredients
500g ready made puff pastry
3 chicken breasts - cubed
200g cooked ham - cubed
1 leek - sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic - crushed
200ml milk
150ml double cream
40g cornflour
4 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg for glazing - beaten
Method
Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet pan, add leeks and garlic and saute gently until soft but not coloured - 3 mins, remove and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan along with the chicken breast, cook for ten minutes - stirring until the chicken is cooked.
Return the leeks to the pan of cooked chicken and add the ham, thyme and sage.
In a cup mix the cornflour with a little of the milk into a smooth paste - set aside. Add the remaining milk and cream to the chicken, ham and leek mix and heat through. Add the cornflour paste to the chicken mix and stir thoroughly until the sauce thickens - season to taste and set aside to cool.
Grease a deep pie dish - roll out two thirds of the pastry until it is ¼ inch thick and 1 ½ inches bigger than the dish then line the pie dish, pressing down firmly - brush the edge with the beaten egg - . Roll out the lid of the pie so that the pastry is 2 inches larger than the dish.
Fill the pie dish with the cold chicken mixture and place the lid on top - press the edges firmly together, trim off excess pastry and crimp the edges. The pie with egg and place in the fridge for at least thirty minutes to rest.
To cook - heat oven to 200C - Place pie on the middle shelf and cook for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and the inside is piping hot.
