Chicken Leek Filo Pie Food

CHEESY CHICKEN AND LEEK PHYLLO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and mushrooms; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in stock and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, 3/4 cup cheese, thyme, salt and pepper., Brush a 9-in. pie plate with some of the remaining oil. Place one sheet of phyllo dough into prepared pie plate, allowing ends to extend over edges of dish; brush with oil. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Layer with seven additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with oil and rotating sheets to cover the pie plate. Transfer chicken mixture to crust., Gently fold in ends of phyllo over filling, leaving an opening in the center. Crumble the remaining phyllo sheets over filling; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Brush edges with remaining oil. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

EASY PEASY CHICKEN, MUSHROOM AND LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the sliced leeks and the quartered mushrooms into a wide ovenproof pan (see Note 2) and fry over a fairly high heat, stirring regularly, for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Tip the mushrooms and leeks onto a plate and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Allow the pan to heat back up again and then fry the diced chicken for 4 minutes, or until lightly browned on most sides. (The chicken should NOT be fully cooked at this point.)
• Return the mushrooms and leeks to the pan and add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then turn right down low.
• Allow the pie filling to simmer gently for 2 minutes, then add the crème fraîche, black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. When the crème fraiche is fully stirred in, turn the heat off.
• Leave the pan to cool for 2 minutes, then top with scrunched up sheets of filo pastry: simply take each sheet of filo pastry, scrunch it up in your hand and plop it gently on top of the filling. Repeat until the pie is completely covered, then lightly brush with a little olive oil (or melted butter).
• Place the pie into your pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown on top and the filling is bubbling (see Note 3).
• Serve the chicken pie with your favourite green vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, peas or asparagus

CHICKEN & LEEK PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a roasting tray toss the sweet potatoes with 2 tsp of the oil and some seasoning. Cook for 30-40 mins, until golden and crisp. Heat 1 tsp oil in a medium frying pan. Fry the chicken until browned, remove from the pan and set aside. Add the leek and a splash of water, and gently fry until soft, about 7 mins. Add the carrot and cook for 3 mins more. Pour in the stock and boil until reduced by half, then add the mustard and soft cheese, stirring well to combine. Return the chicken to the pan, add the tarragon and some seasoning.
• Divide the mixture between 2 small ovenproof dishes. Take the filo sheets and scrunch them up. Top each pie with a sheet and brush with remaining 1 tsp oil. Cook the pies in the oven with the chips for 15 mins, until the pastry is golden.

CHICKEN, LEEK & MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large pan with the bay, half the thyme sprigs, the parsley stalks, onions, garlic, stock and seasoning. Pour the milk over the chicken and, if you need to, top up with water to make sure the chicken is covered. Bring the chicken to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 mins. Lift from the liquid and leave to cool.
• Drain the poaching liquid through a sieve into a large jug - you need 650ml to make the sauce for your pie.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan over a low-medium heat. Add the leeks and the mushrooms, and cook for 5-10 mins until soft, then season well. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Slowly add the poaching liquid, stirring until you have a thick sauce.
• Using two forks, pull the chicken apart into thumb-sized chunks rather than chopping it - I feel you get a far better pie this way. Chop the parsley leaves, then stir into the leeks with the thyme leaves, crème frâiche and chicken. Check the seasoning, then spoon the mixture into your pie dish (or dishes) to cool slightly.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly dusted work surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut thin strips from the edges and use a little water to stick these around the lip of the pie dish, then wet the top of the pastry strip. Lift the pastry on top of the pie, trim the edges and crimp them with your fingers or a fork. Brush the top with milk and cut a steam hole in the middle.
• Put the dish on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until the pastry is risen and golden. Some of the filling will have bubbled up through the steam hole. Have a bottle of tomato ketchup on hand to serve, if you like - and be careful, the pie will be hot.