Best Chicken Ham Leek Roast Potato Pie Recipes

ROAST CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Remove any giblets from the cavity of the chicken (freeze for making stock), then stuff it with the thyme, lemon and bay leaves. Tie the legs together with string, if you like (not essential), pat dry with kitchen paper, then rub all over with 20g of the butter. Season well. Scatter the onion in the centre of a lightly oiled roasting tin, then put the chicken on top. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes. Uncover and roast for a further 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden.
• Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the 250g butter in the freezer for 1 hour. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, remove the butter from the freezer, coat in flour, then coarsely grate into the bowl, dipping it into the flour now and then. Mix the butter into the flour, then stir in the water to make a soft, pliable dough. Bring together into a ball, knead briefly on a lightly floured surface, wrap in cling film and chill until needed.
• Cook the leeks in a frying pan or saucepan with the remaining 15g softened butter for 3-4 minutes. Cool.
• Lift the cooked chicken onto a board and, when cool enough to handle, remove the meat in small chunks, putting the skin, bones and herbs from the cavity into a large pan. Discard the lemon. Add the stock to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain; skim any excess fat from the surface. Mix the cooked chicken in a bowl with the cooked ham, leeks, peas and parsley.
• Discard the excess oil from the roasting tin, put the tin directly over a medium heat and fry the onion a little longer if not well browned. Whisk in the flour, then gradually add the stock, scraping the base of the tin with a wooden spoon to release all the colour and flavour. Simmer until reduced to 600ml, stir in the cream and season to taste. Strain onto the chicken mixture, mix together well, cover and chill.
• Put a baking tray onto the middle shelf of the oven and heat to 190°C/ 170°C fan/gas Cut off two thirds (about 500g) of the pastry and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a disc about 30cm in size. Use to line the base and sides of a buttered shallow 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin, leaving 1cm overhanging. Spoon in the chicken mixture, pressing it in well, and level the top.
• Beat the egg yolk with 1 tsp cold water and brush the overhanging pastry with it. Roll out the rest of the pastry into a smaller disc measuring about 24cm, lay it over the top of the pie and press the edges together to seal. Brush the edge with yolk again, fold back on itself to make a better seal, then crimp. Brush the pie with more egg yolk and make a small hole in the centre of the lid.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering loosely with foil if it browns too quickly. Carefully remove from the tin and serve cut into wedges.

HAM, LEEK & POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Heat a large frying pan, melt the butter, then add the onion and leeks. Cover, then very gently cook for 15 mins until soft. Add the potatoes after 5 mins cooking.
• Stir in the flour, turn up the heat, then add the stock, stirring until the mix thickens a little. Take off the heat, then stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and ham. Season to taste, then cool, if you have time. Spoon the mix into a large pie dish, adding a couple of bay leaves. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
• Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut a pastry strip the same width as the lip of the dish, wet the edge of the dish with egg, then fix the strip around it. Brush the top with egg, then lay over the remaining pastry.
• Trim pastry to the edge of the dish, then ruffle the cut edges with the knife blade to help the layers rise. Cut a few slits to let the steam escape, decorate with bay leaves, if you like, then brush all over the top with egg. Can be done up to a day ahead, keep chilled. Bake for 30 mins until risen.

CHICKEN, HAM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• To make the filling, put the bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary on a square of muslin, draw up the edges and tie tightly with kitchen string to enclose the flavourings. Put in a saucepan and pour on the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then infuse over a low heat for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken thighs to the pan, bring back to a simmer and cook gently for 25 minutes. Add the leeks and cook for 15 minutes until soft.
• Strain the stock into a clean bowl, and set aside the chicken and leeks to cool. When cool enough to handle, pull the chicken off the bones and set aside on a plate.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to make a roux. Swap the spoon for a whisk. Slowly add the reserved chicken stock to the roux, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth. Continue cooking the sauce over a medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
• Remove from the heat and add the cream, mustard and Cheddar and stir until the cheese has melted.
• Add the chicken, leeks, and ham hock and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. Stir through the chopped parsley and refrigerate until needed.
• To make the hot water crust pastry, place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs. Mix on a medium speed until well incorporated - the dough will be crumbly once the egg has been worked in.
• Melt the butter, lard and 250ml/9fl oz water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Turn the mixer to a low speed and gradually pour in the hot liquid, stopping as soon as a dough forms (Alternatively, you can mix the pastry by hand, using a wooden spoon to beat in the eggs and then the melted mixture.)
• Take the dough out of the bowl and divide into two pieces, one twice the size of the other: one-third for your pie lid, and the larger portion to line the pie tin.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece to a round, 5mm thick. Use to line the base and sides of a 23cm/9in round pie tin, 5cm deep, pushing the pastry into the sides. Let the excess overhang the rim and brush the pastry with beaten egg yolk.
• Roll out the other piece of pastry to a round, 5mm thick, for the pie lid. Spoon the cooled filling into the pastry-lined pie tin. Cover with the pastry lid and cut away the overhanging excess pastry from the edge. (There will be quite a lot of trimmings.) Press the edges together with your fingertips, to seal and crimp.
• Brush the surface evenly with beaten egg yolk and cut a small hole in the middle of the top, to allow the steam to escape. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the pastry to set. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Bake the pie in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.