Gammon Leek And Potato Pie Food

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.

CREAMY LEEK, POTATO & HAM PIE

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Put the butter in a bowl with the flour and salt. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add about 6 tbsp water to the mixture and use a knife to mix together until you have a firm dough. Cut the dough in half and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge while you make the filling.
• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-7 mins until partcooked. Drain well and allow to cool.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and leeks, and gently cook for 10-15 mins until they are very tender, being careful not to brown them. Add the garlic and cook for a few mins more, then remove from the heat, tip into a bowl and allow to cool. Stir in the chives.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put a baking tray in the oven to preheat. Roll out 1 disc of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick. Use this to line a 24cm round x 4cm deep pie tin, leaving any excess pastry to overhang the tin. Prick the pastry all over with a fork, place on the heated baking tray and bake for 10-12 mins. Return the baking tray to the oven.
• Slice the cooled potatoes into very thin rounds. Start to assemble the pie by arranging half of the potatoes in the base, then top with half the leeks, half the crème fraîche dotted over the top and half the cheese. Arrange half the ham on top, then repeat again with all the remaining ingredients.
• Roll out the remaining disc of pastry to about a 26cm circle. Brush the top edge of the pastry in the tin with the beaten egg. Lay the circle of pastry over the top and trim the edges, crimping with your fingertips or a fork to seal. Brush all over with the beaten egg and decorate the top with any leftover pastry cut into leaves or a decoration of your choice.
• Place on the hot baking tray on the lowest shelf and bake for 45 mins until golden. Set aside for 15 mins to cool in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.

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.

LEEK AND POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and slice thinly.
• Wash the leeks thoroughly and slice thinly discarding about the last 2 inches of the green tops.
• Mix together the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Grease a casserole dish.
• Put in alternate layers of potatoes and leeks sprinkling each layer with the seasoned flour and small chips of butter.
• The top layer should be potatoes.
• Dot the top with butter, pour hot milk on top of the casserole.
• Bake in the oven uncovered (gas 5, 375°F, 190°C.) for about 1 hour.

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.

BACON, LEEK, AND POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Warm your MASHED potatoes.
• Set them aside and keep warm.
• Heat and cook the bacon in HALF the butter and ALL the oil in a medium-to-large frying pan until just beginning to brown and crisp.
• Remove from pan with a slotted spoon.
• Add leek to the grease in the pan.
• Add seasoning to taste, and the sugar.
• Meanwhile, preheat broiler to highest temperature and position rack.
• Fry leek gently over medium heat until soft and caramelized. Take care not to burn!
• Return the bacon to the pan and stir evenly through leek.
• Pour the mixture evenly into a standard-sized (9") pie pan.
• Add the REMAINING butter and 4 ounces of the cheese to the warmed potatoes.
• Season with salt & pepper to taste and mix well.
• Spoon the potato-cheese mixture evenly over the leeks and bacon, sprinkle evenly with REMAINING cheese, top decoratively with tomato slices and season the tomatoes with just a touch more salt possibly pepper if you like.
• Place pie under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the top is nicely browned in spots.