Chicken, leek and tarragon pie
This simple pie is the ultimate comfort food – homemade flaky pastry, with a creamy chicken and leek filling.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 360²µ/12¼´Ç³ú plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
- pinch salt
- 170g/5¾oz unsalted butter, cold and cut into small, even pieces
- 60²µ/2¼´Ç³ú lard, cold and cut into small, even pieces
- 3–4 tbsp ice-cold water
For the filling
- 1 small whole chicken
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 leek, cut into chunks, plus 4 leeks, sliced
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 5 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers, chopped
- small bunch thyme or summer savoury
- 5 bay leaves
- 300ml/10fl oz white wine
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream, plus 1 tsp to glaze
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 25ml/1fl oz double cream
For the greens
- 400g/14oz any seasonal greens, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the pastry, place the four and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and lard and cut them into the flour with a cutlery knife. Rub with your fingertips so the pieces fall like flakes back into the bowl (there is no need to make a fine crumb). Add the ice-cold water and mix lightly into a ball. Shape the ball into a disc and cover tightly with greaseproof paper. Chill in the fridge.
To make the filling, place the chicken in a casserole or cooking pot. Place the onion, carrot, 1 leek, celery and bacon all around the chicken in the pan. Tie the herbs and bay leaves into a small bundle and add to the pan. Season the mixture in the pan with salt and pepper and then add the white wine and 100ml/3½fl oz water.
Cover the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool with the lid still on.
Cook the remaining leeks in a saucepan of boiling salted water for a few minutes until tender. Drain and spread out on a tray to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Lift the chicken from the pan and pick the meat. Remove the vegetables and bacon from the pan and discard the herbs.
Bring the liquid in the pan to the boil, spooning away any foam that rises to the surface. Add the cream and boil for a few minutes. Mix in the chicken meat, boiled leeks, cooked vegetables, cooked bacon, mustard, tarragon and parsley.
Spoon this mixture into a deep pie dish that is roughly 30x45cm/12x18in. A pie chimney of sorts is helpful here.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and lay it over the pie filling, letting it drape slightly down the sides of the dish. Tidy the edges.
Beat the egg yolk and double cream together in a small bowl then brush evenly over the pastry. If not using a chimney, make a small incision in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape and bake for 45–50 minutes, until browned and piping hot.
To make the greens, heat a saucepan of salted boiling water and cook the greens for 2–3 minutes. Drain, season with salt and pepper and serve with a slice of pie.
