Description
A comforting and indulgent Chicken and Leek Pie featuring tender chicken thighs, smoky bacon, and soft leeks in a creamy mustard sauce, all encased in flaky butter puff pastry. This hearty dish blends rustic flavors with elegant cooking techniques, perfect for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken and Base Ingredients
- 50g (3 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, divided
- 750g (1.5 lb) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1.8 cm (3/4″) bite size pieces
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
Pie Filling
- 80g (3 oz) streaky bacon, chopped into 1 cm (0.4″) squares
- 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
- 2 celery stems, sliced 4 mm (0.2″) thick (cut thick end in half lengthways first)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/3 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 thyme sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves (preferably fresh, else dried)
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 1 cup thickened/heavy cream (or any full-fat cream, or substitute milk for lower fat)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Pie Assembly
- 2 x 20 cm (8″) frozen butter puff pastry sheets or a single large sheet to cover baking dish (approx. 360g/12 oz)
- 1 egg, yolk and whites separated, lightly whisked
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Melt half the butter in a large pan over high heat. Add the chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper, and cook until the surface turns from pink to white, leaving the inside still raw. Remove chicken using a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the residual butter and juices in the pan.
- Sauté Aromatics and Bacon: In the same pan, cook the chopped bacon for 1 minute. Add the sliced leeks, celery, and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until celery softens, taking care not to brown the leeks by lowering heat if necessary.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the white wine and simmer quickly on high heat, stirring, until mostly evaporated to lift any browned bits off the pan.
- Create the Roux: Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining butter, and once melted sprinkle the flour evenly over the surface. Stir continuously for 1 minute to cook the flour without browning.
- Make Creamy Sauce: While stirring, slowly add the chicken stock, allowing the mixture to thicken into a creamy sauce. Add Dijon mustard, cream, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir well, then return the chicken along with any juices to the pan.
- Simmer the Filling: Increase heat to bring sauce to a simmer, then reduce to medium-high. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce reaches a thick, creamy consistency suitable for the finished pie.
- Cool the Filling: Remove pan from the heat and let the filling cool for 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days if needed.)
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pastry: Preheat oven to 200°C (375°F) or 180°C (fan-forced). Use a 1.5 litre baking dish or 4-5 ramekins (~350 ml each). Semi-thaw puff pastry sheets if frozen. Brush the edge of one sheet with egg white and overlap with the second sheet by 0.5 cm to join. Smooth seam with back of a spoon.
- Assemble the Pie: Use the baking dish as a guide to cut out a pastry lid. Optionally, cut strips of pastry to line the rim of the dish for extra puffy edges. Fill the dish with cooled filling and smooth the surface. If using pastry strips, brush them with egg white then cover with the puff pastry lid. Brush the top of the pastry with egg yolk and cut a small X in the center for steam to escape.
- Bake the Pie: Bake for 45 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown and puffed. Allow the pie to rest for 5 minutes before serving to set the filling.
Notes
- The sauce thickness after simmering should match the desired thickness in the finished baked pie to avoid a watery filling.
- If your baking dish has a thick rim, use leftover pastry strips to line it for a more decorative edge.
- Ensure not to brown the leeks while sautéing to maintain their delicate flavor.
- Use low sodium stock to control the saltiness of the filling effectively.
- The egg white is used to glue pastry sheets together and adhere strips to the rim, while the yolk gives the top crust a golden finish.
- You can prepare the filling in advance and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days, making this recipe convenient for meal prep.
- Substituting milk for cream will reduce fat content but slightly change the richness of the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/5th of pie)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
