Chicken Ham and Leek Pie

Method21 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat all 450 ml chicken stock in a large lidded saucepan. Add all three skinless chicken breasts and bring to a gentle simmer.

   Uses 450 ml chicken stock for poaching; measure 250 ml cooked liquor for sauce · 3 Chicken Breast

2. 2

   Step 2: Cover and simmer the breasts for about ten minutes, continuing as needed until fully cooked through and 74°C / 165°F in the thickest part. Lift all the cooked breasts onto a plate with tongs and keep the poaching liquid separately in the saucepan.

   Poach Chicken · 10 minUses All three breasts and their poaching liquid

3. 3

   Step 3: Pour the cooked poaching liquor into a large jug. Measure and hold 250 ml of this cooked liquor for the sauce; retain any surplus separately for another use.

   Uses All the retained cooking liquor, separately from the plated chicken

4. 4

   Step 4: Trim and thoroughly wash both leeks, then slice them about one centimetre thick. Melt only the first 25 g sauce butter in a large heavy pan over low heat and gently fry all the leek slices for two minutes until just softened.

   Soften sliced leeks in first sauce butter portion · 2 minUses First 25 g of the 75 g sauce butter · 2 leeks, trimmed, washed and cut into 1 cm slices

5. 5

   Step 5: Peel and crush the garlic (2 cloves). Add all of it to the softened leeks and cook one minute. Add the remaining 50 g sauce butter; as soon as it melts, stir in only the separate 55 g sauce flour to form the roux. Pastry butter and pastry flour remain separate.

   Garlic before remaining sauce butter and flour · 1 minUses All the softened leeks and their butter · 2 cloves minced Garlic · Remaining 50 g sauce butter · 55 g plain flour for sauce

6. 6

   Step 6: Cook the complete roux for thirty seconds, stirring constantly.

   Uses The complete sauce roux

7. 7

   Step 7: Gradually stir all the milk (200ml) into the cooked roux, a little at a time. Then gradually stir in exactly the held 250 ml cooked poaching liquor and the chosen two to three tablespoons wine if using, until the complete sauce is smooth and begins thickening. The original raw 450 ml stock is not added again.

   Uses The complete cooked roux · 200ml Milk · Exactly 250 ml of the held cooked liquor · 2–3 tbsp white wine for sauce, optional

8. 8

   Step 8: Bring the complete sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for three minutes.

   Simmer Sauce · 3 minUses The complete smooth sauce

9. 9

   Step 9: Season the simmered sauce with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove it from the heat and stir in all the double cream (150ml).

   Uses All the simmered sauce · Sea salt flakes for sauce, to taste · Freshly ground black pepper for sauce, to taste · 150ml Double Cream

10. 10

    Step 10: Pour the complete sauce into a large bowl, cover its surface with cling film to prevent a skin, and leave it to cool before filling the pastry.

    Uses All the prepared creamy leek sauce

11. 11

    Step 11: Heat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan / Gas 6 and put a baking tray inside to heat. Use a 23 cm round pie dish for this source batch.

12. 12

    Step 12: Pulse only the separate 350 g pastry flour and 200 g pastry butter in a food processor until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Beat the pastry egg (1) with the measured tablespoon cold water (1) and briefly process that mixture into the crumbs until a dough ball just forms. Do not overprocess; the separate glaze egg remains untouched.

    Uses 350g Plain Flour · 200g Butter · 1 free-range egg for pastry, beaten with 1 tbsp cold water · 1 tbls Cold Water

13. 13

    Step 13: Separate exactly 250 g prepared pastry for the lid and hold it separately. Keep the remainder for the pie base.

    Uses The complete prepared pastry

14. 14

    Step 14: Lightly flour the rolling surface with some of the separate dusting flour. Roll the held base pastry to about 5 mm thick and roughly four centimetres wider than the 23 cm pie dish. Lift it over the rolling pin and gently line the pie dish.

    Uses All prepared base pastry after the 250 g lid portion was held · A little separate extra flour for rolling the base

15. 15

    Step 15: Press the rolled pastry firmly up the sides without air pockets and leave its excess overhanging the rim.

    Uses The prepared pastry-lined pie dish

16. 16

    Step 16: Cut all the poached cooked breasts into roughly three-centimetre pieces and the cooked ham (150 g) into roughly two-centimetre chunks. Stir all this chicken and ham into the cooled prepared sauce. The leeks are already cooked in that sauce; do not add another raw leek portion.

    Uses All three held cooked breasts · 150 g thickly carved cooked ham, cut into 2 cm chunks · All the cooled sauce, already containing the cooked leeks

17. 17

    Step 17: Pour all the prepared filling into the pastry-lined dish. Beat the separate sealing/glazing egg in a bowl. Brush a little of that beaten egg onto the pastry rim and hold the remaining beaten glaze egg for the top.

    Uses The prepared pastry-lined dish · All the prepared filling · Beat the separate glaze egg; use a little for the rim and hold the remainder

18. 18

    Step 18: Lightly flour the surface with some remaining dusting flour. Roll out the held 250 g lid pastry large enough to cover the pie.

    Uses The held 250 g lid pastry · A little separate extra flour for rolling the lid

19. 19

    Step 19: Cover the filled base with the rolled lid and press the pastry edges firmly together to seal. Trim excess pastry from the edge.

    Uses The prepared filled pie base · The prepared lid

20. 20

    Step 20: Cut a small steam hole in the centre of the lid. Brush the top with some of the held beaten glaze egg, keeping any unused egg separate for another use.

    Uses The complete sealed pie · Some remaining beaten glaze egg for the top; no second egg is added

21. 21

    Step 21: Bake on the heated baking tray in the centre of the oven for thirty-five to forty minutes until the pastry is golden all over and the filling is piping hot. This complete pie serves four to six.

    Bake Pie · 40 minUses The complete prepared pie