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Chicken Ham and Leek Pie

Chicken Ham and Leek Pie

A British dinner. Ready in about 1 hour 18 minutes. Difficulty: medium.

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Ingredients

How many people?

− 5 people +

Changed from 4 to 5 people · Back to 4

Main ingredient

  • 4 chicken breasts

Fresh & other

  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock Shopping tip: Chicken broth (carton or can), or a chicken bouillon cube in hot water.
  • 3 ⅓ oz butter
  • 3 leeks
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 ¼ oz all-purpose flour Shopping tip: All-purpose flour (UK: plain flour).
  • 1 cup + 1 tbsp milk
  • 4 tbsp white wine
  • ¾ cup + 2 tsp heavy cream Shopping tip: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (UK: double cream).
  • 7 oz ham
  • 15 oz all-purpose flour Shopping tip: All-purpose flour (UK: plain flour).
  • 9 oz butter
  • 1 free-range egg beaten
  • 1 ½ tbsp cold water
  • 1 free-range egg beaten
Spices & seasonings (2): sea salt, pepper
  • spinkling sea salt
  • pinch pepper

How to make it

Steps in our own plain words.

  1. Heat the chicken stock in a lidded pot.

  2. Add the chicken breast.

  3. Bring to a low simmer.

  4. Cover with a lid.

  5. Cook for 10 minutes.

  6. Remove your chicken breasts from the water with tongs.

  7. Place on a plate.

  8. Pour the cooking liquor in a large jug.

  9. Melt 1 oz of your butter in a large heavy-based pot over a low heat.

  10. Stir in the leeks.

  11. Fry for two minutes, stirring every so often until softened.

  12. Add the garlic.

  13. Cook for a further minute.

  14. Add the remaining butter.

  15. Mix in your flour as soon as your butter has melted.

  16. Cook for 30 seconds.

  17. Stir the whole time.

  18. Slowly pour the milk into the pan, a little at a time.

  19. Stir well between each adding.

  20. Gradually add 1 cup + 1 tbsp of your reserved stock plus the wine, if using, stirring till the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly.

  21. Bring to a gentle simmer.

  22. Cook for 3 minutes.

  23. Season the mixture, as you like, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  24. Take it off the heat.

  25. Stir in the cream.

  26. Pour into a large bowl.

  27. Cover your surface of your sauce using cling ilm to prevent a skin forming.

  28. Set aside to cool.

  29. Turn the oven on to 400°F.

  30. Put baking tray in the oven to heat.

  31. For the pastry.

  32. Put your flour and butter in a food processor.

  33. Blend on the pulse setting till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

  34. Add the beaten egg and water with the motor running.

  35. Blend until the mixture forms a ball.

  36. Portion off 9 oz of pastry for your lid.

  37. Roll the rest of the pastry out on lightly floured surface, turning the pastry often till around 5mm/¼in thick plus 1 ½ inches/1½in larger than your pie dish.

  38. Press your pastry firmly up your sides, making sure there no air bubbles.

  39. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides.

  40. Cut the chicken breasts in 1 ¼ inches/1¼in pieces.

  41. Stir the leeks, ham and chicken into the cooled sauce.

  42. Pour the chicken filling in the pie dish.

  43. Brush your rim of the dish with beaten egg.

  44. Roll out your reserved pastry for the lid.

  45. Cover your pie using your pastry lid plus press the edges together firmly to seal.

  46. Trim any excess pastry.

  47. Make a little hole in your centre of your pie with the tip of a knife.

  48. Glaze the top of your pie with beaten egg.

  49. Cook in the oven on your preheated tray in your centre of the oven for 35-40 min till your pie is golden-brown all over plus the filling is piping hot.

On the side: Green salad

A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.

How to make it (10 min)
  1. Rinse the salad greens. Slice the cucumber.
  2. Put it all in a bowl and toss with the dressing just before eating.

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Recipe from TheMealDB, adapted from the original. Steps rewritten in our own words. Times are estimates.