Chicken and Leek Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 250 g puff pastry
• 250 g short crust pastry
• (We suggest buying ready-made)
• 1 beaten egg for glazing
• 8 large leeks, washed trimmed and finely sliced
• 50 g butter
• 2 chicken breasts – about 350 g in all
• ½ tsp mace
• Soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
• Salt

For the white sauce

• 25-50 g butter
• 25 g plain flour
• 275 ml of milk infused with a piece of onion, bay leaf and a sprig of thyme

Method

• Soften the sliced leeks in the butter in a lidded pan, stirring from time to time. Drain. Leave to one side. Cut the chicken breasts into 1 cm cubes. Season with a little salt and the mace. Melt 25 g of butter in a big pan until it is lightly browned and foaming. Fry the chicken in 2 batches for 2 minutes only. Put the two lots of chicken together. Splash over the soy sauce and mix well, coating each bit lightly. Remove from the pan with a draining spoon. Bring the milk to the boil with the onion, bay leaf and thyme. Melt 25 - 50 g butter in a saucepan, stir in flour. When the flour has absorbed the butter, strain the milk into the pan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously.
• Do not allow to stick. Simmer gently for approx five minutes until the flour is cooked. Mix the leeks with the white sauce. Mix in the chicken cubes.
• Butter a loose bottomed tin, 23 - 26cm diameter, 4 cm deep. Line the tin with the short crust pastry. Roll out the puff pastry and cut a lid to fit the tin. Fill the leek and chicken mixture into the pie case. Wet the edges. Fit the puff pastry lid and brush all over with the beaten egg. Add decorations and brush these with the beaten egg. Bake at 220°C (425°F, gas 7) for 25 – 30 mins or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Equipment

• Baking tin (23 – 26cm diameter, 4cm deep, preferably loose-bottomed)
• Scales
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Wooden spoon
• Large frying pan
• Slotted spoon
• Pastry brush
• Saucepan
• Measuring jug