Home-Made Chicken and Leek Pie

A quick and simple home-made chicken and leek pie recipe. Once made it can then be served with chips, or potatoes and vegetables for a healthier option.

Our younger teens have cooked this by themselves and it is perfect for DofE skills section if they chose cooking. This recipe is from The Wiggly Worm Charity.

Allergy advice: This recipe contains dairy, gluten and optionally mustard.

Ingredients for Chicken and Leek Pie

• Home-Made Shortcrust Pastry (click link to the left for previous recipe on how to make it)
• 75g plain flour
• 75g butter
• 300ml milk
• 400ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp. mustard (optional)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 white onion chopped (frozen can be used)
• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed, again frozen can be used)
• 3 chicken breasts (cubed, thighs can also be used and are cheaper)
• 1 finely sliced leek (fresh or frozen)
• 1 egg (beaten)

Equipment

• Oven
• Frying Pan
• Saucepan
• Spatula
• Sharp knife
• Fork/Whisk
• Chopping board
• Jug
• Measuring equipment
• Baking dish
• Pastry brush
• Thermometer (not eseential)

Method for making for Chicken and Leek Pie

1. Preheat the oven. Obviously you will need to adjust this accordingly. We have an electric fan oven and cook at 190 degrees C.
2. Heat the 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a pan
3. Add in the finely chopped onion, garlic, and sliced leek – frying quickly until soft. This is called sauté.
4. Next add in the chicken. Turn it so that it is browned on all sides.
5. Heat the butter in a large saucepan and gently melt.
6. Tip in the flour and whisk until all of the flour has been absorbed.
7. Slowly begin to add the milk, whisking as you go, adding more as each bit is absorbed.
8. Then do the same with the stock.
9. Once the stock has been absorbed and the mix is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, take off the heat.
10. Here is the option to add in the mustard.
11. Pour in the vegetable and chicken mix from the frying pan into the sauce mix – stir and combine.
12. Once combined spread into the bottom of a heat-proof baking dish.
13. Brush the beaten egg around the top of the dish and then lay the puff pastry over the top.
14. Using a sharp knife, score any pattern you desire into the pastry, before brushing with the remaining egg.
15. Put the baking dish into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
16. Remove from the oven and ensure the chicken is cooked. Ideally with a thermometer reading above 75ºC.
17. Cut and serve.

This can also be frozen for later.