Chickenhamandleekpie Recipes

HAIRY BIKERS' CREAMY CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Heat the chicken stock in a lidded saucepan. Add the chicken breast and bring to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the water with tongs and place on a plate. Pour the cooking liquor into a large jug.
• Melt 25g/1oz of the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the leeks and fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining butter and stir in the flour as soon as the butter has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Slowly pour the milk into the pan, just a little at a time, stirring well between each adding. Gradually add 250ml/10fl oz of the reserved stock and the wine, if using, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put a baking tray in the oven to heat.
• For the pastry, put the flour and butter in a food processor and blend on the pulse setting until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the beaten egg and water and blend until the mixture forms a ball. Portion off 250g/9oz pastry for the lid.
• Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around 5mm/¼in thick and 4cm/1½in larger than the pie dish. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides.
• Cut the chicken breasts into 3cm/1¼in pieces. Stir the chicken and ham into the cooled sauce. Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. Roll out the reserved pastry for the lid.
• Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry.
• Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. Bake on the preheated tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.

PROPER CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Use a large sharp knife to carefully cut down the back bone of the chicken, cutting it in half. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear for 10 minutes, or until golden. Reserve the pan for the cabbage.
• Meanwhile, chop the pancetta into 1cm chunks, pick in the thyme leaves and place in a large shallow casserole pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. Put it on a medium heat so the fat renders out, while you wash and trim the white part of the leek (save the green for making soup) and the celery. Peel the onion and carrot, then roughly chop all the veg into 1.5cm chunks and add to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
• Stir in 2 heaped tablespoons of flour, cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the cider. Let it bubble away for 2 minutes or until almost evaporated, then stir in the mustard and stock. Add the chicken breast-side down, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on a low heat for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
• Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the flour in a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Grate in the cold butter, then rub with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in 100ml of cold water, mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands until it forms a dough, adding an extra splash of water if needed. Divide into 2 pieces - you will need ⅓ for the lid and ⅔ for the base - flatten with your hands and chill until needed.
• Finely slice the mushrooms and set aside.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred the meat (discard the carcass).
• Stir the mushrooms into the pan, followed by the shredded chicken and the crème fraîche, mix well and season to taste.
• Strain the chicken mixture through a sieve over a clean pan to catch the liquid, gently pressing to help it along, and reserve for your gravy. Leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
• Lightly grease a 30cm pie dish with oil. Roll out the larger piece of pastry between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper to just a few millimetres thick and use it to line the dish - allow an overhang. Press firmly into the edges and up the sides of the dish.
• Fill with the cooled chicken mixture, then carefully roll out and top with the remaining piece of pastry. Beat the egg and brush a little over the edge of the lid then fold over the overhang and press down gently to seal. Egg wash the pie all over, then make a small incision in the centre to let the steam escape and bake at the bottom of the oven for 1 hour, or until the pastry is golden and the pie is piping hot.
• Click off and discard any tatty outer leaves from the cabbage, then cut in half. Halve the core, then finely slice. Roughly chop the rest into large chunks. Place the chicken pan on a high heat, add the cabbage stalks and fry for 2 minutes, then go in with the leaves and a splash of water and cook for 5 minutes more, or until softened and lightly charred. Stir in the mustard, then add a pinch of salt and white pepper with a splash of water, and simmer for 1 minute, tossing a few times.
• Reheat the gravy and enjoy with the pie and cabbage. Delicious served with creamy mash.

CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• To make the filling, put the bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary on a square of muslin, draw up the edges and tie tightly with kitchen string to enclose the flavourings. Put in a saucepan and pour on the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then infuse over a low heat for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken thighs to the pan, bring back to a simmer and cook gently for 25 minutes. Add the leeks and cook for 15 minutes until soft.
• Strain the stock into a clean bowl, and set aside the chicken and leeks to cool. When cool enough to handle, pull the chicken off the bones and set aside on a plate.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to make a roux. Swap the spoon for a whisk. Slowly add the reserved chicken stock to the roux, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth. Continue cooking the sauce over a medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
• Remove from the heat and add the cream, mustard and Cheddar and stir until the cheese has melted.
• Add the chicken, leeks, and ham hock and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. Stir through the chopped parsley and refrigerate until needed.
• To make the hot water crust pastry, place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs. Mix on a medium speed until well incorporated - the dough will be crumbly once the egg has been worked in.
• Melt the butter, lard and 250ml/9fl oz water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Turn the mixer to a low speed and gradually pour in the hot liquid, stopping as soon as a dough forms (Alternatively, you can mix the pastry by hand, using a wooden spoon to beat in the eggs and then the melted mixture.)
• Take the dough out of the bowl and divide into two pieces, one twice the size of the other: one-third for your pie lid, and the larger portion to line the pie tin.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece to a round, 5mm thick. Use to line the base and sides of a 23cm/9in round pie tin, 5cm deep, pushing the pastry into the sides. Let the excess overhang the rim and brush the pastry with beaten egg yolk.
• Roll out the other piece of pastry to a round, 5mm thick, for the pie lid. Spoon the cooled filling into the pastry-lined pie tin. Cover with the pastry lid and cut away the overhanging excess pastry from the edge. (There will be quite a lot of trimmings.) Press the edges together with your fingertips, to seal and crimp.
• Brush the surface evenly with beaten egg yolk and cut a small hole in the middle of the top, to allow the steam to escape. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the pastry to set. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Bake the pie in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

ROAST CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Remove any giblets from the cavity of the chicken (freeze for making stock), then stuff it with the thyme, lemon and bay leaves. Tie the legs together with string, if you like (not essential), pat dry with kitchen paper, then rub all over with 20g of the butter. Season well. Scatter the onion in the centre of a lightly oiled roasting tin, then put the chicken on top. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes. Uncover and roast for a further 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden.
• Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the 250g butter in the freezer for 1 hour. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, remove the butter from the freezer, coat in flour, then coarsely grate into the bowl, dipping it into the flour now and then. Mix the butter into the flour, then stir in the water to make a soft, pliable dough. Bring together into a ball, knead briefly on a lightly floured surface, wrap in cling film and chill until needed.
• Cook the leeks in a frying pan or saucepan with the remaining 15g softened butter for 3-4 minutes. Cool.
• Lift the cooked chicken onto a board and, when cool enough to handle, remove the meat in small chunks, putting the skin, bones and herbs from the cavity into a large pan. Discard the lemon. Add the stock to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain; skim any excess fat from the surface. Mix the cooked chicken in a bowl with the cooked ham, leeks, peas and parsley.
• Discard the excess oil from the roasting tin, put the tin directly over a medium heat and fry the onion a little longer if not well browned. Whisk in the flour, then gradually add the stock, scraping the base of the tin with a wooden spoon to release all the colour and flavour. Simmer until reduced to 600ml, stir in the cream and season to taste. Strain onto the chicken mixture, mix together well, cover and chill.
• Put a baking tray onto the middle shelf of the oven and heat to 190°C/ 170°C fan/gas Cut off two thirds (about 500g) of the pastry and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a disc about 30cm in size. Use to line the base and sides of a buttered shallow 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin, leaving 1cm overhanging. Spoon in the chicken mixture, pressing it in well, and level the top.
• Beat the egg yolk with 1 tsp cold water and brush the overhanging pastry with it. Roll out the rest of the pastry into a smaller disc measuring about 24cm, lay it over the top of the pie and press the edges together to seal. Brush the edge with yolk again, fold back on itself to make a better seal, then crimp. Brush the pie with more egg yolk and make a small hole in the centre of the lid.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering loosely with foil if it browns too quickly. Carefully remove from the tin and serve cut into wedges.

CHICKEN, HAM, LEEK & ROAST POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken for about 5 mins. Tip into a 22 x 28cm ovenproof pie dish, then evenly scatter over the ham and roast potatoes. Heat the remaining oil and soften the leeks for about 5 mins, then stir in the flour for 1 min.
• Pour in the wine and stock. Bring to the boil and, stirring continuously, boil rapidly to reduce to a thick sauce. Take off the heat, then stir in the crème fraîche and seasoning. Pour over the pie filling and leave to cool.
• Unroll the pastry and cut off a small strip to make decorations (if you like). Roll the remainder to fit the dish and place on top of the pie. Use a fork to crimp the edges and press the pastry to the edge of the dish. Make a small hole in the centre, then cover well with cling film. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, defrost at room temperature for 8 hrs.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush pie with egg to glaze (making sure the steam hole hasn't sealed up). Cook for 30-40 mins, until golden and hot through.

CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• 1. Take the chicken off the bone in large pieces. In a deep dish pie plate,
• make alternate layers of chicken, ham and leeks.
• 2. In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and add the onions. Saute
• until the onions are soft. Stir in the flour and mustard and cook for a few
• minutes. Slowy add the chicken broth and cream, stirring until it is thickened.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken, ham and leeks in the pie pan.
• 3. Roll out the pie crust until it is slightly larger than the pie plate.
• Dampen the edges of the pie plate and cover with the pie crust. Crimp the edges
• and cut holes for steam.
• 4. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven until the crust is lighty browned, about 25 to
• 30 minutes.

CHICKEN, LEEK AND HAM PIE

Steps:

• heat oven to (200°C/180°C fan/gas 6) chop and wash leeks into discs and fry in butter for 5-10mins or until soft while leeks are frying chop up ham and chicken into chunks about 1cm by 1cm
• add chunks of chicken and ham to the pan along with the stock (200ml of stock or 200ml of hotwater and a stock cube) season to taste with salt and pepper
• pour the mixture into a oven proof dish and place rolled out pastry on the top, fold pastry over edges to seal and poke small holes in the middle for hot air to escape
• crack egg and whisk, gently brush over the pastry put in oven for 15-20 mins or until golden brown take out and enjoy or cool and reheat (for reheating microwave for about 3-4 mins and then put in the oven to crisp up the pastry for about 2-3 mins)