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chicken and leek pie on plate showing inside of pie.
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5 from 1 vote

Chicken and Leek Pie

Rich and creamy, this Chicken and Leek Pie recipe helps you create this classic comfort food.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Australian, British
Servings: 1 large pie or 12-14 small "pie-maker" pies
Calories: 1100kcal
Author: Libby Hakim

Equipment

  • 1 pie dish (about 24cm) OR
  • electric pie maker

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken breast (250 grams)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 leek, sliced finely (white and light green part of the leek only)
  • 2 medium potatoes, grated
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dried tarragon (or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon)
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 600 ml hot chicken stock
  • ⅓ cup thickened cream (heavy cream)
  • 1 teaspoon seeded mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper (to taste, I recommend ¼ teaspoon salt)
  • frozen shortcrust and puff pastry sheets (1-2 of each for large pie and 3 of each for individual pies)
  • milk or egg wash to brush pastry

Instructions

Poaching the chicken

  • Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Once boiling, add chicken breast and bay leaf. Once the water starts boiling again, place a lid on the saucepan and allow chicken to sit in the water and poach for 30 minutes.
  • Once the time has elapsed, shred chicken into pieces using two forks.
  • Make the filling while the chicken is poaching.

Filling

  • Cook sliced leek, grated potato and ¾ of the measured amount of tarragon in the oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat for 5 minutes.
  • Combine cornflour with a little cold water to form a runny paste and then combine that with hot chicken stock. Add to leek and potatoes and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until mixture thickens.
  • Add cream, mustard, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper and cooked, shredded chicken. Cook over medium heat for another minute or two.

Making a large pie – oven instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius and grease the pie dish.
  • Line the pie dish with shortcrust pastry and add a layer of baking paper weighed down with baking beads or rice.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and carefully remove weights and baking paper.
  • Spoon filling into pie dish. Place puff pastry sheet over filling and press the edges to seal before trimming excess pastry.
  • Brush pastry with a little milk or egg wash and cut two small slits in the top. Sprinkle with remaining tarragon.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry on top of pie puffs and browns.

Making small pies in a pie maker

  • Preheat your pie maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Lightly grease the pie maker's cooking plates with cooking spray or melted butter.
  • Place one shortcrust pastry circle into each pie cavity, gently pressing it into the base and up the sides.
  • Spoon the chicken and leek filling into each pie, ensuring it is evenly distributed.
  • Top each pie with another puff pastry circle. Sprinkle with a little tarragon before closing the pie maker and cooking for the recommended time specified by the manufacturer or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through.
  • Carefully remove the pies from the pie maker and allow them to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Storing: Leftover chicken leek pie stores well in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (provided the chicken was cooked the day the pies were made).
Freezing: If freezing, wrap pies in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before re-heating.
Nutrition: The nutrition information is an automatically generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Tips:
  • You can substitute the poached chicken and use leftover BBQ chicken – about 2-3 cups shredded.
  • Leeks should be slim and straight stems that are firm and have a large white/light green area before the darker green top
  • Use a waxy potato variety like desiree, dutch cream or nicola for best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 1100kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 1494mg | Potassium: 2924mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3112IU | Vitamin C: 106mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 7mg