Chicken & leek pie

Chicken & leek pie

This has to be the best comfort food yet and it's perfect for entertaining

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in under 3 hours, plus chilling

Method

  1. Put the chicken into a deep pan that is just large enough to hold it quite snugly. Pour in enough water to half cover the bird, then tip in the peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, onion and celery. Add the salt and bring to the boil on the hob, then reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer for 1-11⁄4 hours until tender.
  2. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Strain 425ml/3⁄4 pint of the stock into a measuring jug (top up with water if you need to). Strip the meat off the chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a 1.7 litre/3 pint pie dish.
  3. Put the eggs in boiling water and boil for 6 minutes. Drain, cool them under cold water and remove the shells. Quarter the eggs and nestle them in the pie dish among the chicken pieces.
  4. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Add the leeks and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock a third at a time, stirring continuously and making sure the sauce is thick and smooth before adding the next batch. Stir in the mustard, crème fraîche and parsley, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper to taste. Add salt if needed. Spoon over the chicken and leave to cool.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/fan 200C. Reserve a quarter of the pastry for decoration and roll out the remainder to a shape about 5cm/2in larger than the top of the pie dish, then cut a 2.5cm/1in strip from all round the edge. Brush the edge of the dish with water and stick the pastry strip to it. Brush the strip with water. Flip the pastry lid over the rolling pin, lift it up and unroll over the pie. Press the edge on to the pastry strip to seal, and trim any excess with a sharp knife.
  6. Tap the blade of a small sharp knife all along the outside edge of the pastry (this helps the edge to rise during cooking), then flute it using the back of the knife. Make a hole in the lid centre with the tip of the knife, to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
  7. Roll out the pastry you put aside earlier. Cut 8 long strips each about 1cm/1⁄2in wide, and two more strips each about 4cm/11⁄2in wide. Cut the wider strips diagonally to make eight diamond leaf shapes. Mark the veins of the leaves with the tip of a sharp knife. Brush the pastry lid with beaten egg, then lay the 8 thin strips on top, as in the picture. Brush again with egg and arrange the leaves in the centre, between the strips. Brush with egg.
  8. Chill the pie for 15 mins, if you have time, to set the pastry. (Can be made a day ahead up to this point. Keep chilled and add 4-5 extra minutes at baking time.) Bake for 30 - 35 miutes until the pastry is crisp, puffed up and deep golden brown.)

Per serving

762 kcalories, protein 55g, carbohydrate 27g, fat 49 g, saturated fat 24g, fibre 2g, salt 2.78 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2002.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Gaby

    28 December 2007

    Gaby rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Good for using left over roast chicken.

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  • Binder photo woozle

    19 January 2008

    woozle rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This has become one of our favourite dishes in the house. I do not use left over roast though, I tend to use 2 free-range chicken breasts which I cook with all the stock ingredients then carry on with the pie recipe in the same way.

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  • Binder photo pennyh30

    11 February 2008

    pennyh30 commented on this recipe

    This is a wonderful dish which is always eaten in full! I love using a whole chicken rather than just breasts as you get all the different textures of the meat. Quite often I use pancetta rather than bacon and a gutsy smooth mustard rather than whole grain - just a slight twist. Cook it - well worth the time

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  • Binder photo pennyh30

    11 February 2008

    pennyh30 rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Tasha

    14 February 2008

    Tasha rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    WOW a really tasty pie. I made it with four chicken breasts as I did not have a whole chicken. I cooked it when my daughter and grandson came for a visit, and my daughter took my copy of the recipe home with her so I have to print it again as I will be making this quite often.

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  • Binder photo iketla

    10 April 2008

    iketla commented on this recipe

    Superb and very easy - I used boneless chicken thighs

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  • Binder photo Jo

    24 April 2008

    Jo commented on this recipe

    I was expecting great things from this pie because of previous comments, but must admit that I was disappointed. I used chicken breasts rather than a cooked chicken, so whether this made a difference I don't know. I found it very fiddly to make - not the thing to try when you are in a hurry. My guests enjoyed it, as did my family, so I will try it again and see how it goes!

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  • Binder photo Alex87

    04 June 2008

    Alex87 commented on this recipe

    Does anyone think it would be possible to cook the pie filling (minus the eggs), freeze it up in separate batches, and then also freeze the pie lids (uncooked) and then defrost it all, put it together, and then whack it in the oven until pastry lid is cooked? Me and the bf will never manage a whole chicken, but it is so much cheaper than using individual breasts. I might just try it and see :)

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  • Binder photo LBanks

    21 July 2008

    LBanks rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This went down a storm particularly with my fussy 75-year-old uncle! I must admit it was a quite time consuming and definately one for special occasions only. I used two chicken breasts and 4 chicken thighs instead of the whole chicken. If I was to make this for the family again and to cut down time I would just use cooked chicken, miss out the eggs and use mash potatoes as a topping.

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  • Binder photo Caroline

    21 November 2008

    Caroline rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    pretty yummy actually. I wasn't sure about the eggs in it but it was delicious. I added some white wine into the sauce which worked well

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  • Binder photo Michele

    12 February 2009

    Michele commented on this recipe

    Delicious and great to make in advance for guests. It doesn't actually require that much attention or effort if you use shop-bought puff pastry, as most of the cooking time stated is for the pie in the oven or cooking the chicken on the hob. Would definitely make again, though not for an everyday family meal.

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  • Binder photo Nicola

    16 February 2009

    Nicola rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Yum, I love this pie! I made it when a friend came for dinner, and she was very impressed and asked for seconds. I don't normally roast a chicken - I'll normally boil a whole chicken instead, so this would be a good way for me to use up any leftover chicken and also the stock. i boiled the chicken the night before, so it wasn't too time consuming on the day. I'm sure it would work just as well with left over roast chicken though. Also, i missed out the eggs, because I didn't really feel it needed boiled eggs in it!

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  • Binder photo Lucy

    17 March 2009

    Lucy commented on this recipe

    Looking forward to making this recipe but like the last person, Im really not sure about the eggs. Wanted to ask those that did include the eggs, did it make the pie, or would you leave them out? For children, I wonder if this might put them off?

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  • Binder photo Laura

    24 March 2009

    Laura rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo larder

    15 April 2009

    larder rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    delicious and so easy to make! my boyfriend couldn't get enough of it and we have to stop ourselves from finishing everything in 1 sitting!

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  • Binder photo Kerry

    02 May 2009

    Kerry rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I love making pies and this is the best recipe I've found. It's so tasty and pretty simple to make. I left out the eggs though, I just didn't fancy them in the recipe. Also good to use in smaller, individual pie dishes for dinner parties.

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  • Binder photo madashatters

    30 August 2009

    madashatters commented on this recipe

    easy, delicious and moreish. enjoyed by all and a definate one to be repeated

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  • Binder photo jennyhart

    27 September 2009

    jennyhart rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo ali

    01 November 2009

    ali rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This has become a firm favourite. I don't use eggs and tend to use the left overs from a roast chicken. Depending on what's in the fridge I sometimes substitute cream or marscapone for the creme fraiche. It freezes well so I often freeze it individual portions and then top individual pie dishes with the puff pastry lids. Yum!

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  • Binder photo Steph

    02 November 2009

    Steph rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this recipe for a family gathering and it was a huge hit, it sounds a bit weird with the eggs i know, but they really do make it, this is comfort food through and through, the flavours are amazing!!!

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in under 3 hours, plus chilling

Brilliant make-ahead feast

Ingredients

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Per serving

762 kcalories, protein 55g, carbohydrate 27g, fat 49 g, saturated fat 24g, fibre 2g, salt 2.78 g

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