Chicken and Leek Pie
Photo by Simon Lambert
Makes: 6 individual pies or 1 large
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Skill level: Intermediate
Ingredients
For the chicken and stock:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 chicken stock cube
500 ml water
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 black peppercorns
For the filling:
60 g butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, washed and sliced into 1 cm rounds
60 g plain flour
250 ml milk
500 ml hot stock (from poaching the chicken)
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
To finish:
1 sheet Heritage Bakers Ready-Rolled Flaky Puff Pastry
A little flour for dusting
1 egg, lightly beaten, for glazing
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Poach the chicken: Combine water, stock cube, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, add the chicken breasts, and poach for 10–15 minutes until cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Make the sauce: In a separate pan, melt butter with olive oil. Add the leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the hot stock, then the milk, stirring until smooth and thickened. Season with mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Combine: Dice the chicken and fold through the sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Assemble: Spoon the filling into individual ovenproof dishes or a single large pie dish.
Top with pastry: Cut the Heritage Bakers Flaky Puff Pastry to size, allowing it to overlap slightly. Gently drape the pastry over the filling, letting the edges fall naturally for a rustic look — no trimming needed.
Finish: Brush with beaten egg, decorate with a few pastry shapes if desired, and cut a small steam hole in the centre.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden, and crisp.
Serving & Tips
Serve straight from the oven with buttered peas or a crisp green salad.
The creamy filling can be made ahead and chilled until needed.
Recipe by Alison Lambert
