Classic British chicken and leek pie

Combine this year’s British Pie Week with the end of the leek season by making this hearty chicken pie, perfect for a weekend get-together

I crust you! You can do it!

This hearty pie is a British classic and is a great way to feed guests or your family over the weekend. It goes great with mashed potatoes, peas and some chicken gravy. If you’re already confident with pastry, or just feeling a bit adventurous, make yourself a simple rough puff to go on top. Shop-bought puff pastry is fine, however – it’s relatively cheap and always rises consistently! 

Ingredients – (serves 4) 

  • 750g British free-range chicken thigh, skinless and boneless – £4.00
  • 1 bunch of parsley – 70p
  • 4 sprigs thyme, leaves only – 10p
  • 750ml chicken stock – 10p
  • 2 leeks, thoroughly washed and sliced – £1.00
  • 25g butter – 15p
  • 25g plain flour – 1p
  • 150ml white wine – 90p
  • 150g smoked bacon, sliced – 88p
  • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard – 10p
  • 300ml crème fraîche – £1.10
  • Zest and juice of one lemon – 30p
  • 1 pack of puff pastry – £1.30
  • 1 egg, beaten – 15p
  • Salt and pepper

£10.79 in total, £2.70 per head

Method

  1. Heat an oven to 200C, 180C fan. When heated, cook the chicken for 25 minutes.
  2. When cooled, chop up the chicken and put it aside.
  3. Heat up the butter in a pan and fry the bacon until golden brown.
  4. Add the leeks and cook until they are soft, then add in the flour and stir. Cook for 5 minutes to cook out the flour.
  5. Add in the white wine and bring to boil, stirring until the alcohol has evaporated.
  6. Add the stock a bit at a time, stirring.
  7. Add in parsley stems, thyme, lemon zest and juice and the mustard. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
  8. Stir in the creme fraiche, chicken and chopped parsley leaves, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. If it’s too loose, reduce to thicken slightly. Ensure that it’s only slightly looser than you want the finished pie filling to end up.
  10. Put the filling into a large pie dish. If you don’t have one, a pyrex baking dish or casserole dish will work just fine.
  11. Roll out the pastry and lay over the top. Crimp the edges of the lid by pushing a fork gently around the rim where the pastry meets the dish.
  12. Make a hole in the top and put a little cone of greaseproof paper in to allow steam to vent
  13. Brush with beaten egg and chill for 20 minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C, 200C fan.
  14. When the oven is hot and the pie chilled, bake for 30 minutes until the pastry goes golden brown.

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