Chicken Mushroom and Leek Pie

Whilst it is supposed to be summer in Britain, the weather is not very summery, and today it is like winter. Thinking about what to do for tea tonight on this very wet and wintry day, what nicer than a chicken mushroom and leek pie.

Cost - approx £1.60 per person
Serves 2

Ingredients for the pie filling:

2 Chicken breasts
200g Leeks - washed and finely sliced
160g of Mushrooms - cleaned and quartered
1 TBLSP of butter
1TBSPS of plain flour
1 Pint of chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry :

200g plain flour
Pinch of salt
100g butter - diced
Cold water
3 TBLSP of milk to glaze

Method for the pie filling:

• Trim the chicken breasts and cut into bite size chunks
• Take the leeks, cut them down the middle and wash, then slice
• In a large pan, add the the butter and melt on a low heat, add the leeks and mushrooms stir well and cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes to sweat down the leeks and mushrooms, stirring once in a while to stop the from burning.
• Add the flour to the pan and stir in well
• In a frying pan, add a little oil and add the chicken, and on a low to medium heat cook for 5 minutes, you are not looking to brown the meat
• Add the chicken to the pan and mix well
• Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer on a low heat with the lid on for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Taste the gravy in the pan, and add salt and pepper if required
• Get a bowl and a strainer and put the contents of the pan in the strainer and let the gravy strain into the bowl
• Place the chicken, leek and mushroom mix into a pie dish
• Take some of the gravy and add to the pie dish, until it comes about 3 quarters up the mix and set aside
• Put the rest of the gravy in a pan and set aside

The cubed chicken breast

The washed and sliced leeks

The sweated leeks and mushrooms

The cooked chicken - note you are not looking to brown the meat

The filled pie dishes ready for the shortcrust pastry

Method for the shortcrust pastry:

• Place flour and salt in a bowl
• add the butter
• Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs

The flour and butter rubbed in

• Take a tablespoon and start adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing the water into the flour and butter. Repeat adding the water until the dough comes together

The resulting dough after adding the water

• Put the dough in a plastic food bag/cling film and put it in the fridge for at least half an hour

Method of assembling the pie:

• Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out
• Cut a thin strip and brush milk round the edge of the pie dish
• Put the all-round the edge of the pie dish and then brush with the milk
• Place the rolled out lid onto the pie
• Then with a tines of a fork, press gently down to seal
• with the remaining milk brush the top of the pie to glaze
• With a knife, make a few holes in the top of the pie
• Cook for 50 minutes at 220 degrees C and serve

The pie dish prepared ready for sealing with the lid

The pies ready for glazing and baking

The cooked pie

Serve with mashed potato and vegetables, using the reserved gravy.