Chicken and Leek Pie

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 300g plain flour
• 125g butter (cold and chopped into cubes)
• 2-3 tbsp cold water
• 1 egg
• Salt

For the sauce:

• 30g butter
• 30g flour
• 500ml milk
• 3 tbsp double cream
• 2 tsp mustard, we use Dijon
• 100ml chicken stock

For the filling:

• 10 chicken thighs, deboned and diced
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 30g butter
• 70g streaky bacon, diced
• 1 bunch fresh tarragon
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

• For the pastry, sieve flour into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Then, add in ¾ of the butter and make into a crumb mix by rubbing the butter and flour together. Try and introduce a bit of air into the mix.
• Next, add a tablespoon of cold water and bring mix together to form a dough. Using your hands, add one or two more tablespoons of water to bring the mix together and place on a floured surface.
• Next, knead and once a perfect dough, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes. Take dough out of the fridge before you need it to bring it back to room temperature.
• Pre-heat the oven to 190C.
• For the white sauce, melt the butter first then add in the flour and stir vigorously over a medium heat. Then, add in the milk a little at a time. Once all the milk is added, add in the cream, chicken stock and mustard and let the sauce thicken on a low heat, still stirring. Make sure to stir vigorously throughout to prevent lumps forming.
• In an ovenproof dish, place the chicken and leeks on the bottom and cover with sliced tarragon leaves. Now, pour over the white sauce and season with salt and pepper.
• For the topping, flour a clean surface and start rolling out the pastry until it is the right size to cover your dish. Place over the top and trim the edges of the pastry, sealing the edges with water or a beaten egg.
• Next, crimp the edges with a fork and make a hole in the centre of the pie for steam to escape.
• To finish, brush with egg to ensure the pie gets a golden glow.
• Cook for 25 to 30 minutes.