French Leek Pie Food

FRENCH LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and cheese, and warm through. Pour mixture into pie shell
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until custard is set and golden on top. Allow to sit 10 minutes before cutting pie into wedges.

CREAMY FISH & LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick each potato a few times with a knife (to prevent them from bursting) and bake on a baking tray for 1 hr-1 hr 30 mins or until soft when pressed. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash it with a fork or ricer. Save the skins for another day. While the potato is still hot, mix in the cream and milk to make a smooth mash, season and set aside.
• While the potatoes are baking, make the fish pie mix. Put a large frying pan on a medium heat. Melt the butter and cook the leeks slowly for 10 mins until they are sweet and tender, then season and add the nutmeg. Stir in the mustard, then pour in the wine and reduce until there is almost no wine left. Pour in the cream and simmer for about 10 mins until reduced by half. Remove from the heat, and add the chives along with the lemon juice and zest. Taste for seasoning.
• Stir the haddock, salmon and prawns into the creamed leeks and transfer to a medium baking dish, then top with the mashed potato, smooth over to cover the fish, and scatter over the cheeses. Bake for 25-30 mins until the cheese has turned golden brown.

LEEK AND POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the potato slices for 3 mins. Drain and allow to cool.
• Butter a shallow ovenproof dish and spread over the garlic. Layer the potatoes, leeks and cheese, season well, then pour over the cream. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hr.
• Remove the foil and continue cooking for 20 mins or until the top is browned and the potatoes are cooked through. Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

LEEK TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line a 9-inch pie pan with dough. Clean and trim leeks, and julienne. Melt the butter, add leeks and season and cook covered over medium to low heat for 20 minutes until softened. Mix the eggs and cream and all but 1/4 cup of the cheese and add the cooled leeks. Pour into pie shell, top with cheese and bake for 40 minutes.
• BRAISED LEEKS
• In an 8-inch skilled saute leeks in butter. Add chicken broth to almost cover. Cover pan, and to cook for about 20 minutes, until tender. Remove leeks to a platter. Reduce cooking liquid, pour over platter of leeks and garnish with fresh thyme.
• FRIZZLED LEEKS
• Heat oil to hot, but not smoking. Toss julienned leeks with some flour in a bowl. Add to hot oil and fry. Can be used as a garnish.

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.

LEEK PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F and place a flat baking sheet on the middle shelf. Remove the pastry from its plastic wrapping (set this aside), cut it into 2 equal parts, then gently roll into slightly thinner 10in squares. Put one onto a lightly buttered baking sheet, cover with the plastic wrapping and put the other pastry sheet on top. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the leeks and cook for about 20 minutes, or until they are soft. Mix together the cream cheese, cream, nutmeg and chives in a small bowl. Mix in the leeks and leave to cool.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and set aside the top sheet on the plastic wrapping. Spread the cooled leeks over the pastry base, leaving a 3/4in edge uncovered. Scatter with the Parmesan and paint the edge with the egg yolk. Form a lid with the other square of pastry and allow the edge of this to flop down onto the bottom layer. Press together lightly. Brush the top with more beaten egg and press the edges together with a fork; trim the sides to neaten.
• Make a few small cuts in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape. Decorate with the point of a knife, in a criss-cross pattern. Slide the pie on the baking sheet into the oven on top of the pre-heated tray. Bake for around 35-40 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and crisp. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.