This recipe for a chicken pie was a bit of a ‘make it up as you go’ recipe, but one I was pleased with. The pastry, like my sweet pastry, was governed by supplies, but the result was light, flaky and flavoursome.

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pie

Flaky pastry:

  • 200g plain flour
  • 150g salted butter, chilled
  • 6g fine Maldon sea salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 100g cold water

Sift the flour and salt onto the bench, grate the butter over the flour using a coarse grater. Stop every now and again to toss the butter through the flour with your fingertips and to dust the grater with flour.

Make a well in the centre, beat the yolk into the water and pour into the well. Gradually bring in the flour with your fingertips to create a dough. Knead briefly and then wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 mins before using.

Filling:

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 125g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium leek, trimmed, sliced and washed
  • 100ml dry white wine
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 2tbs crème fraîche
  • 1tsp Dijon mustard
  • Cornflour to thicken
  • Maldon sea salt and fresh black pepper
  • 1 egg yolk mixed with 1dsp of water

Season the chicken breast and fry in a little olive oil in a very hot pan. This is just to colour the chicken, not cook it through. Remove the chicken to a plate and add the bacon to the pan.

When the fat is starting to render, add the leeks and the mushrooms and cook until just starting to soften. Add the leek mix to the chicken and then pour the wine into the pan.

Reduce the wine to a syrup and add the chicken stock. Reduce this by around two thirds then whisk in the Dijon mustard and crème fraîche.

Mix 1tsp of cornflour with a little cold water and use this to thicken the sauce. A thick double cream consistency is what you are looking for. Add the chicken mix to the sauce and adjust the seasoning.

Assembly:

Divide the pastry into two pieces, one a third and the other two thirds. Roll out the larger piece to line the base of a pie tin that is 22cm by 16cm. Add the filling to the tin and then roll out the remaining pastry for the lid. Egg wash around the rim of the pie base and lay the lid over.

Crimp the lid onto the base, sealing well, and trim off excess pastry. Egg wash the lid and bake the pie at 170° for around 40 mins until the pastry is a dark golden colour and there are signs of the filling bubbling.