Chicken and leek pie, a much-loved British comfort food, combines tender chicken and sweet, softened leeks in a rich, creamy sauce, all topped with golden, flaky pastry. The recipe, from Cotswolds Flour and baker Louise Wagstaffe, serves four to six people with a prep time of one hour and 30 minutes, chill time of two hours to overnight, and a cook time of 55 minutes.
The recipe is straightforward and delicious, ideal for the rainy UK weather we've been having lately. It makes an easy and satisfying family dinner and is also a great choice for a cosy Sunday lunch.
Ingredients for the pie
For the puff pastry, you will need 350g Cotswold Strong White Flour, plus extra for rolling, 3g salt, two large eggs, 100ml cold water, 250g unsalted butter, and one egg for glazing.
For the pie filling, gather 25g butter, 600g diced chicken, one onion finely diced, 250g leeks washed and sliced, 300ml chicken stock, 200g Crème Fraîche, one tablespoon of cornflour, one tablespoon of water, one tablespoon of wholegrain mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
Puff pastry method
For the puff pastry, mix together the Cotswold Strong White Flour, salt, eggs, and water with your fingers until they are well combined into a dough. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in clingfilm, and place it in the fridge for two hours.
While the dough is chilling, roll the butter out into a rectangle between two pieces of greaseproof paper. This is easier if you hit it with a rolling pin until it's fairly flat. Roll it out until you get a 40cm by 20cm rectangle. Chill in the fridge for an hour.
Roll the dough into a 60cm by 20cm rectangle. Place the rolled-out butter over the bottom two-thirds of the dough, then fold the unbuttered third of the dough over the top of the butter, and then fold up the bottom third over the top. Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for another hour. Repeat this step four times further.
Chill the pastry overnight if possible (or for a few hours if not, the longer the better). The colder the pastry, the better. Your puff pastry is now ready to use. Roll out and use.
Filling and baking
Heat the butter in a medium pan and fry the chicken and onion together for five minutes. Add the stock, leeks, and crème fraîche, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Dilute the cornflour with the water and add this to the chicken to thicken the sauce.
Place the chicken filling in a shallow pie dish, cover with the pastry, glaze with the egg, and mark for a patterned effect. Cook at 190°C (375°F/gas mark 5) for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.
