Chicken Ham Leek Roast Potato Pie Food

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.

CHICKEN, HAM, LEEK & ROAST POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken for about 5 mins. Tip into a 22 x 28cm ovenproof pie dish, then evenly scatter over the ham and roast potatoes. Heat the remaining oil and soften the leeks for about 5 mins, then stir in the flour for 1 min.
• Pour in the wine and stock. Bring to the boil and, stirring continuously, boil rapidly to reduce to a thick sauce. Take off the heat, then stir in the crème fraîche and seasoning. Pour over the pie filling and leave to cool.
• Unroll the pastry and cut off a small strip to make decorations (if you like). Roll the remainder to fit the dish and place on top of the pie. Use a fork to crimp the edges and press the pastry to the edge of the dish. Make a small hole in the centre, then cover well with cling film. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, defrost at room temperature for 8 hrs.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush pie with egg to glaze (making sure the steam hole hasn't sealed up). Cook for 30-40 mins, until golden and hot through.

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:

• 1. Take the chicken off the bone in large pieces. In a deep dish pie plate,
• make alternate layers of chicken, ham and leeks.
• 2. In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and add the onions. Saute
• until the onions are soft. Stir in the flour and mustard and cook for a few
• minutes. Slowy add the chicken broth and cream, stirring until it is thickened.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken, ham and leeks in the pie pan.
• 3. Roll out the pie crust until it is slightly larger than the pie plate.
• Dampen the edges of the pie plate and cover with the pie crust. Crimp the edges
• and cut holes for steam.
• 4. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven until the crust is lighty browned, about 25 to
• 30 minutes.

HAM, LEEK AND POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and leeks first, and then the potatoes after a few minutes, cook until soft.
• Add the flour and then the stock and stir together well. Turn down the heat and add the crème fraiche, mustard and ham. Season to taste and the add ingredients to a pie dish.
• Dust a little flour on the surface and roll out the puff pastry, add it to the top of the pie and trim the edges. Use a fork to press down the edges and cut a few slits to allow air to escape. Brush the pastry will egg and cook for 30 minutes until golden (220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7).
• The pie may be served with any extra vegetables from your box such as spring greens, carrots or savoy cabbage.

BLACKBIRD PIE......OR CHICKEN, LEEK AND POTATO PIE!

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200C/400°F.
• Grease and line a pie dish with baking paper.
• Mix together your mashed potato, leeks, chicken, ham, crème fraiche & seasonings to taste. Set to one side.
• Roll out your pastry and line the base of the pie dish - allow the edges to extend over the edge of the pie dish.
• Put you filling into the pastry pie case - and sit your blackbird or pie funnel in the middle, pushing it down slightly so it is not too high.
• Turn back the pastry edges and make a raised crust all the way around. Dampen the piecrust with some of the beaten egg & milk mixture.
• Roll out your pastry for the lid - ease it over the top gently breaking OR cutting a hole for the blackbird to poke through!
• Turn back the edges of the pastry lid and neatly crimp the top together with the bottom - using a fork to help you if necessary.
• Brush the beaten egg and milk glaze over the top and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes.
• Take out and allow to cool very slightly before serving with fresh vegetables & gravy. This is also wonderful cold as picnic food.