Meat mains
Chicken & leek pie with braised vegetables
A classic, warming pie for a cold winter’s evening, served with plenty of succulent, simply cooked vegetables. If you like, get ahead and make the filling part the day before you want to eat.
Cook's notes
A tip for browning chicken: if it's a little wet and you want a good golden colour, patting it with a piece of kitchen paper will remove excess surface moisture so it will colour better in the pan. Don't crowd the pan when frying, give each piece space or they sweat rather than frying properly.
Ingredients
- 1 large leek
- oil for frying, e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 300g diced chicken leg
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 75ml white wine
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 200ml chicken stock
- 1 egg
- ½ pack puff pastry
- ¼ cabbage
- 2 large or more
- smaller carrots
- 25g butter
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Trim the top and bottom of the leek. Chop lengthways in half, then into ½ cm pieces. Wash well to remove any grit. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add the chicken and fry to brown it on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
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Step 2
Add the leek to the same pan, with a splash more oil if needed. Lower the heat and fry gently, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if it looks like catching at any point. After 10 minutes, add the dried thyme, dried sage and white wine. Let the wine bubble away until just absorbed. Add the flour and stir well for 2 minutes to cook it out.
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Step 3
Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Stir in the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a 25cm x 15cm baking, gratin or pie dish (or similar), one that fits the mixture snugly. Leave the mixture to cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 6. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat together with a fork. Once the chicken mix has cooled, take the pastry out of the fridge and unroll it. Wet the edges of the pie dish with a little water.
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Step 4
Cut thin strips of pastry and press them around the edge of the dish to cover the rim. Cut a large piece of pastry using the dish as a template, enough to cover the top and rim, pressing and crimping it with the edge strips to seal it. Brush the top with beaten egg. Make a small slit in the middle of the pastry for the steam to escape. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up (NB you'll need to start cooking the carrots and cabbage after 20 minutes). While the pie cooks, wash and shred the cabbage, removing any tough core and thick ribs. Wash, peel and finely slice the carrots. 10 minutes before the pie is ready, put the carrots in a frying pan with the butter and just enough water to cover them. Bring up to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes.
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Step 5
Add the shredded cabbage, turn up the heat slightly and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, until tender. The liquid should evaporate away; add a splash more water to stop the veg catching if needs be. Season the veg to taste with salt and pepper and serve with the pie. If the pie needs a little longer, depending on your oven, take the veg off the heat and gently reheat to serve.